Alli is an FDA-approved over-the-counter weight loss pill for use in conjunction with a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet in adults who are overweight. Alli works by blocking up to 25 percent of fat from the foods you eat so your body absorbs fewer calories than you consume. Alli can help you lose between 5 and 10 percent of your weight over time. Consult your doctor before taking Alli.
Pro: Solution to a Big Public Health Problem
Alli provides a much-needed solution to a big public health problem. Approximately 68 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, according to research by Katherine Flegal, Ph.D., published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in 2010. Over 80 million people in the U.S. seek weight loss diets and supplements each year, contributing to sales of $222 billion in the global nutrition industry. Among the myriad weight loss aids, pills and other types of products sold to consumers that do not require government approval, Alli is the first FDA-approved weight loss product in its category.
Pro: Effectiveness
Alli is an effective product that is backed up by clinical studies and supported with a behavior modification program. Alli contains 60 mg of orlistat, the same active substance found in Xenical, a prescription drug that contains 120 mg of orlistat. Clinical studies demonstrate Alli may help you lose 50 percent more weight than if you simply diet. Alli comes with a personalized program called My Alli that can help you make lifestyle changes, including exercise and healthy meal planning, so you can achieve long-term weight loss.
Con: Inconvenient Adverse Reactions
As with many drugs, you may experience side effects when taking Alli. However, these side effects may occur suddenly and could be uncomfortable and embarrassing. The fats from the foods you eat that do not get absorbed into your body travel through your intestines and may cause foul gas and a sudden oily bowel movement. Avoid eating oily foods before attending a public event or traveling long distance to reduce your risk of these disturbances.
Con: Misuse
Alli is widely advertised as an effective weight loss product available over the counter that could attract misuse among teenagers and adults who are anorexic or bulimic and want to lose weight or fear gaining weight. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a relentless pursuit of thinness and weight loss through dieting, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent and frequent episodes of binge-eating super amounts of food, followed by purging through vomiting, laxatives or diuretics. Research by Fernando Fernandez-Aranda, Ph.D., published in the "International Journal of Eating Disorders" in 2001, reports two cases of women with bulimia nervosa starting in adolescence who were normal weight and experienced vomiting after episodes of food binging and use of orlistat.
Member Comments