Is Alli your ally?

Washington, D.C.

Alli, the first FDA-approved, over-the-counter weight-loss drug hit store shelves last week. I’ve put together a special package at Revolution Health that sorts out all you need to know about it.

Taken three times a day with each meal, the drug blocks the absorption of some of the fat in the foods you eat. Unlike other weight-loss products, it does not affect your brain or heart. Combined with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet, the drug manufacturer (GlaxoSmithKline) claims that Alli can help you lose 50% more weight than dieting alone – so instead of losing 10 pounds, you could lose 15.

It’s not without “treatment effects” though that may include: “gas with oily spotting, loose stools and more frequent stools that may be hard to control.” Patients can expect these to occur if they consume greater than 15 grams of fat at each meal. The companion book to Alli is more blunt: “Until you have a sense of your treatment effects, it’s probably a smart idea to wear dark pants and bring a change of clothes with you to work.”

Still considering it? Here’s what a group of four medical experts had to say about the drug.