Pros and Cons Of The New Alli Diet Pill

Okay, the disclaimer first. I don't much believe in diet pills, and the Alli diet pill is no exception.

That being said, I truly tried to dispassionately review the available info on the new FDA approved weightloss product from GlaxoSmithKline. Considering my already biased opinion on the subject, however, I decided to adopt the approach of offering pros and cons about the new diet pill and letting readers judge for themselves.

Let me tell you the pro's first.

1. It is available over the counter without a prescription.

2. Alli is an FDA approved nonprescription dosage of the well known fat loss pill, Xenical

3. It does block absorption of some fats

4. It can be used to help some people lose a small amount of weight

5. It apparently works best if you are exercising regularly but have a lot of fat in your diet

6. GlaxoSmithKline stock should go up because the diet pill market is huge and this stuff is flying off the shelves in some areas.

Now, I tried to be fair, but I am sure you have already noticed a slightly unimpressed tone to the "positive" statements I listed above. Sorry, couldn't help it.

Here's the negative side.

1. The average weight loss with the Alli diet pill alone, which seems to sell for about $59.95 a bottle, is about 1 pound a month.

• You could cut one sugar-sweetened soda a day and lose about the same amount while saving $30.00 or more depending on where you buy your sodas...or donuts...or double cheese hamburgers.

2. If used with healthy eating habits and exercise (the basic core of any healthy weight loss program) it CAN increase weightloss by three pounds or so for each five pounds lost by the exercise and healthy eating.

• If you are losing five pounds a month with exercise and healthy eating, you probably DON'T NEED a diet pill that does strange things to your body. More on that in a minute.

3. It works by blocking the absorption of fat. Three points here:

• If you are already eating a low fat diet, there won't be much for it to do, hence, it won't do much for you.
• Dietary fat is necessary for the absorption of certain vitamins vital to health. While the evidence is still out, there is some concern that blocking the fat may expose the user to health threatening vitamin deficiencies.
• Omega 3 fatty acids (good for your heart) are blocked as well (bad for your heart).

4. It works only WHILE YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE IT.

• When people quit taking the pill, they tended to gain back whatever weight they had lost. Simple! There was no lifestyle change involved. When you quit taking the pill and you haven't changed your exercise or eating habits, your body will go back to the way it was before. In other words, GlaxoSmithKline has you at $59.95 a pop for the rest of your life...unless you want to take a brisk 20 minute walk every day or so...which is free.

5. Its possible side effects are really interesting...if you're into that sort of stuff!

• Let's keep it simple. If you decide to take this drug, you might want to purchase some more underwear or Depends diapers for adults. In other words, side effects include excessive flatulence, oily bowel movements which can be difficult to control, and anal leakage.

My personal thoughts on the Alli diet pill are that it is a move by some big pharmaceutical companies to get their share of a HUGE market in over the counter weight loss products. It can help, but it is probably not worth the money.

About the Author

Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer residing in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, weight lifting, yoga, weightloss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, and life. You can find a collection of his articles on health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/.

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