The Life Ledger

Fitness is a way of life.

What do you think about alli? Take my poll.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta has written a short article over at CNN about Orlistat / OTC alli.  Among the more poignant (and sure to be lost once the advertising starts airing during Wheel of Fortune) points in his laundry-list of “things you should keep in mind before considering this drug:”

1) Diet and exercise are still going to be your longest-lasting weight-loss solution.

2) The manufacturers of alli and the FDA emphasize that this medication cannot work alone. It must be combined with low-fat diet and multivitamin taken at bedtime.

5) This is not a miracle drug. You will still have to work for the weight loss.

10) And the big question: How much will you lose? Expect modest weight loss. If you lose 5 pounds through diet and exercise, the FDA says you can expect to lose 2 to 3 more pounds by taking this pill. By the way, the weight loss plateaus after six months.

4 out of 10 items echo the sentiments I’ve previously discussed and are growing in the blogosphere - the drug provides minimal weight-loss assistance and is not intended as a weight-loss pill.  That won’t stop GSK from skirting penalties from the FTC when advertising it as a weight-loss pill, and it won’t stop people from buying it in droves.

In fact, I suspect most people trying this drug will be those needing to drop 10-40 lbs before the wedding/birthday/cruise/date, who would otherwise turn to dietary supplements, who have no intention of implementing the lifestyle changes recommended by GSK, and look at the weight-loss as a short-term cosmetic refresher. 

According to a MSNBC Live Vote (not scientific, of course), Americans are pretty excited about putting skidmarks in their undies - currently 59% of 137301 respondents are in favor of taking OTC alli, 15% are against and 25% are unsure.  Personally, I’m still skeptical - messing with my body’s natural internal plumbing by ingesting God knows what just isn’t worth the extra couple of pounds.

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