In a recent article published by the site WebMD, the new over-the-counter diet pill alli is given a very detailed profile. The profile reveals a revolutionary take on the role pills role in one’s weight loss program.
The approach many people have towards weight loss medication is that it should work as a quick-fix, making weight loss rapid and effortless. The end result of these unrealistic expectations is an equally rapid return of the weight, or damage to one’s health.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) decided to take a fresh approach to dieting pills with the introduction of alli. Alli is the rebranding of a pre-existing fat-blocker known as Xenical. In fact, it’s the same drug, but at half the strength.
But GSK has envisioned a far more ambitious program for alli. Alli isn’t just a drug; it’s a comprehensive and holistic weight loss program. It must be accompanied by a change in lifestyle. Alli is being sold with the book Are You Losing It? Losing Weight Without Losing Your Mind, along with other weight loss literature and online support groups.
GlaxoSmithKline has gone all out with its marketing campaign, with information-packed websites, online journals of actual alli users, and a media blitz to inform the public of the true nature of alli.
Alli sets modest goals within a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen. For example, if you take alli and faithfully follow its program, you’ll lose 50% more weight than if you did not take alli. The thrust of the alli program is this: you must eat healthy and exercise regularly to lose weight. All alli does is make this weight loss more efficient.
Dr. Gary Foster, director of the Center of Obesity Research and Education, echoes this simple fact. “[Alli] is an exciting new tool and widely available, but to think this is the only thing or some magic quick fix is wrong,” he says. “For the same amount of effort , you get 50% more weight loss. It makes it easier, not effortless,” he told WebMD.
Dr. George Blackburn, director for the Center for the Study of Nutrition, agrees: “Alli is an add-on. You have to have a good lifestyle with diet and exercise.”
GlaxoSmithKline has strongly emphasized alli’s role in weight loss, stressing that alli is “not a miracle pill or a quick fix.” GSK recommends that a person using alli should have a diet consisting of one-third of the calories coming from fat, one-third coming from protein, and the final third coming from carbohydrates.
It is crucial to understand that alli is a fat-blocker, NOT an appetite suppressant.. Alli works by preventing the gastrointestinal tract from absorbing fat.
The fat has to go somewhere, which leads to the side effects of alli, which were the same for Xenical. The side effects of alli can include gas with oily discharge and loose and oily stools. But believe it or not, these admittedly unpleasant side effects can act as a signal that your diet is not low enough in fat.
The alli side effects can let the dieter know they need to modify their eating habits. Dr. Foster puts it this way: “If you think a Quarter Pounder with cheese is low fat compared with Big Mac, you will get some feedback.” A diet high in fat will likely trigger the side effects of alli. Conversely, if you’re not eating enough fat, alli won’t be able to block any fat.
Dr. Arthur Frank, the medical director of the George Washington University Weight Management Program, sums up the use of alli: “You really have to pay attention. There are drugs that you can use and be totally passive about, such as blood pressure or cholesterol medications, but you can’t do that with Alli.”
“You have to be careless to use Alli incorrectly,” Dr. Frank adds, “but some people are careless,” he says. “If you are reasonably careful, it should be reasonably effective.”
Article Source: All About Alli, the Weight Loss Pill (WebMD.com)
More information about alli:
- Official Food and Drug Administration description of alli side effects (pdf).
- The alli weight loss program is outlined on alliconnect.com.
- A Frequently Asked Question resources for the alli diet.
Tags: alli, diet pills, weight loss