A new alli for weight loss
Friday, May 25, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
On June 14 a new over the counter weight loss product is coming to store shelves. It is called alli and is a smaller dose but the same drug as the prescription drug orlistat, or Xenical.
alli is available without a prescription. As a prescription drug, orlistat was given in doses of 120 mg and has been on the market since 1999. alli is orlistat, but it is a 60 mg dosage instead. The clinical trials have shown that it helps people lose up to 50% more weight than dieting alone. If you lose 10 pounds on your own, you may lost 15 pounds taking alli.
How does it work?
alli works in the digestive tract and blocks about 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed and digested. That means you are not getting calories from the fat, leading to a calorie deficit.
Caution
Because the fat is not absorbed, it is excreted in an undigested form. Please use caution when taking alli because the more fat you eat, the more fat is excreted. As you can imagine, this can create some undesirable side effects such as oily gas or diarrhea and urgent bowel movements. While this does not sound pleasant, if you follow the instructions and don’t eat more than 15-20 grams of fat per meal that you take it, you will not experience these unpleasant side effects.
Another word of caution, the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, recommends taking a multivitamin daily if you are taking alli. Some medical professionals are concerned that you will not absorb some fat soluble vitamins due to not absorbing some fat, but the research has shown that vitamin levels stayed in normal range. Taking a multivitamin is just assurance just in case you are not absorbing completely anyway.
Get help
GlaxoSmithKline is offering a 152-page book called are you losing it? for sale to use along with alli. The book is full of answers and encouragement from top weight loss experts. I recommend getting the book and visiting the alli website if you want more information or plan on using this new product. Another good website to check out is www.questioneverything.com. Of course, I always recommend seeing a Registered Dietitian for assistance with your diet.
alli is available without a prescription. As a prescription drug, orlistat was given in doses of 120 mg and has been on the market since 1999. alli is orlistat, but it is a 60 mg dosage instead. The clinical trials have shown that it helps people lose up to 50% more weight than dieting alone. If you lose 10 pounds on your own, you may lost 15 pounds taking alli.
How does it work?
alli works in the digestive tract and blocks about 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed and digested. That means you are not getting calories from the fat, leading to a calorie deficit.
Caution
Because the fat is not absorbed, it is excreted in an undigested form. Please use caution when taking alli because the more fat you eat, the more fat is excreted. As you can imagine, this can create some undesirable side effects such as oily gas or diarrhea and urgent bowel movements. While this does not sound pleasant, if you follow the instructions and don’t eat more than 15-20 grams of fat per meal that you take it, you will not experience these unpleasant side effects.
Another word of caution, the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, recommends taking a multivitamin daily if you are taking alli. Some medical professionals are concerned that you will not absorb some fat soluble vitamins due to not absorbing some fat, but the research has shown that vitamin levels stayed in normal range. Taking a multivitamin is just assurance just in case you are not absorbing completely anyway.
Get help
GlaxoSmithKline is offering a 152-page book called are you losing it? for sale to use along with alli. The book is full of answers and encouragement from top weight loss experts. I recommend getting the book and visiting the alli website if you want more information or plan on using this new product. Another good website to check out is www.questioneverything.com. Of course, I always recommend seeing a Registered Dietitian for assistance with your diet.
No magic pill
Weight loss is one of the most difficult things for many people to master. This pill is not magical and MUST be used in combination with changing your lifestyle incorporating a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet and exercise in order to have success in losing weight and keeping it off!
Product logo courtesy of GlaxoSmithKline.
Labels: orlistat, Tara Gidus, weight loss
6 Comments:
At Mon May 28, 04:00:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
I kept within the fat levels and it still leaked out. After ruining much underwear and permanently staining someone's sofa cushion, and feeling I smelled all the time, which I probably did, I decided it wasn't worth it. You have to live permanently in a sanitary towel or similar and even those don't work to absorbe the leaks.
At Tue May 29, 10:16:00 AM 2007,
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N said…
Thank you for sharing your experience. Some people do have more side effects than others. If you had that much trouble with the product at the prescription dose I would not recommend taking it over the counter either. Remember that the over the counter dose coming out in June is half the strength of the prescription dose so people who experienced mild side effects may not have them.
At Wed Jul 11, 12:42:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
Plenty of people don't think this Alli thing is worth it. I used to take Xenical occasionally, but after I ran out & didn't want to go to a Dr. for a new prescription, I just waited. And gained more weight. I'm an emotional eater. I can go for days eating healthy, then I have to have a pizza, maybe even followed up by ice cream. I'm working on it! The last pizza binge I did was on Alli, and I took it just to avoid absorbing the fat. I did have oily leakage the next morning with little warning, except for a little gas. But it is rewarding in a strange way to know a large % of your binge is now in your toilet or on your toilet paper. (Tip: plan on cleaning the toilet more often, buy several bottles of bowl cleaner!)
Yeah, it's gross; my favorite stretchy shorts are now stained (Tip: don't be tempted to throw the garment into extremely hot water to kill the germs -it will set the stain instead!) But I will use Alli again, because it's almost like binging for FREE. I've lost about 3 lbs in the past month. That's great. If I can get back into my size 8 jeans by September, I'll be thrilled. And determined not to regain!
At Wed Aug 01, 04:49:00 PM 2007,
Anonymous said…
I took prescription strength orlistat a couple of years ago and lost 20 lbs. I never had any trouble with leakage....if anything i had the opposite problem. Not going for several days. My friend had the same problem. Our doctor told us to take a fiber pill and that seemed to help.
At Mon May 05, 01:31:00 PM 2008,
Anonymous said…
I have been taking the over the counter Alli and have changed my way of eating and also added a small time for excersing, have lost 25# in 3 months then all of a sudden it stopped, no weight lost. I have NEVER had treatment side effects ( wish I did) my problem is the opposite and fiber doesn't help, I wonder if that is why my weight loss has almost stopped completely. I feel like just giving up, but I continue to hang in there, have 21 more to meet my goal,.
At Thu Jul 23, 10:01:00 PM 2009,
Cynthia said…
The side effects connected with Alli and Xenical, which seem to be much more serious than indicated on the labeling, such as liver damage, are frightening. It's such a shame that in an attempt to lose weight, one can end up suffering serious harm. I just ran across an interesting site on the Alli and Zenical issue at http://alli-liver-damage-lawyer.com/, which gives some good information and advice on the the issue.
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