Alli - miracle pill or an unpleasant and dangerous way to lose weight? - Healthy Life Essex

Alli, a half-dose version of the weight loss prescripton drug Xenical, is now available over-the-counter. At a cost of £1 per day, many people who continually fight ‘the battle of the bulge’ might think this is the answer to their dreams. But once the side effects are fully understood perhaps most will decide it is not worth the risk.

The drug works by inhibiting the absorbtion of fats. This can cause extremely unpleasant side-effects such as flatulence, diarhhea and stomach cramps. The literature that comes with the pills stresses that some people may experience these problems, to the extent it suggests wearing dark clothes and having a change of clothes readily available!

Some of our essential vitamins such as A and E are also fat-soluble. Another area of concern with this drug is that it will prevent these vitamins being absorbed into the blood stream and users will become vitamin deficient.

The slimming pill is producedby GlaxoSmithKline and a spokesperson said ‘Alli is not a magic bullet. It’s to be used in conjunction with a low-fat and low-calorie diet. It gets rid of a quarter of the fat you eat, so if you continue to eat a high fat diet, you may put on weight.

‘Any side-effects are diet-related, so the more fat you eat, the more Alli has to get rid of. Even with Alli, losing weight is really hard work — you have to change your diet and exercise routine. People have to be committed to that, and of those who are, the vast majority finds it works for them.’

Well, we totally agree that to lose weight you need to change your diet and exercise. If you can do that, then surely there is no need to even consider taking Alli?

There are also more serious concerns about the pill, with some suggesting there may be a link with cancer, but this is not yet proven.