Alli is a weight loss pill that blocks the absorption of fat, thereby reducing your caloric intake. Specifically, Alli prevents lipase, the enzyme your body produces to digest fats, from working. Undigested fat passes through your body and is eliminated, often resulting in an increased number of oily, fatty bowel movements. Alli is the over-the-counter 60 mg dose of orlistat, and there is a prescription dosage available under the brand name Xenical that is 120 mg per pill.
How to Use Alli
Alli should be take before each main meal. Because most dietary fat will pass through your digestive system without being absorbed, no meal should contain more than 15 g of fat and no single food should get more than 30 percent of its calories from fat. Ingesting too much fat will lead to Alli's most unpleasant side-effects, difficulty controlling your bowels, gas with oily spotting and diarrhea.
This is a very rigid low-calorie, low-fat diet that takes careful planning.
People Who Should Not Use Alli
If you have gallbladder issues or nutrient absorption problems from weight loss surgery, Crohn's or celiac diseases, you should not use Alli. You may be able to use a smaller dose of Alli if you have an underactive thyroid, diabetes, pancreatitis, liver disease, malnutrition or a history of eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. People under 18 years of age and women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Alli.
Always consult your doctor before using any weight-loss drug, especially if you take other medication, to avoid a potentially harmful drug interaction.
Possible Side Effects of Alli
Although Alli has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, since 2009 there have been numerous reports of serious liver damage in people using Alli. In May of 2010, the FDA started requiring warning labels on all products containing orlistat that state there is a "potential risk of severe liver injury."
Does Alli Really Work?
Yes, Alli may help you to lose more weight than diet and exercise alone. Although the Alli website claims that Alli will help you lose another pound for every two pounds you lose through healthy eating and exercise, the Mayo Clinic disagrees, calling the weight loss "modest" and suggesting that over a one year period the average weight loss may be an additional five pounds. It is up to you to decide if the potential loss of up to five pounds justifies the possibility of explosive diarrhea and uncontrollable bowel movements.
Risk vs. Reward
The Alli program adds a weight-loss pill to a low-calorie, low-fat diet that emphasizes healthy exercise. Although the program comes with a membership to an online support forum and various tools to track your progress, there are a few unpleasant side-effects and the potential for some dangerous health problems using Alli. Following the Alli diet and exercise program without actually taking the pill will still help you lose weight without any of the risks.
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