Alli is an over the counter pill that is marketed to promote weight loss in adults. Alli is a reduced form of the weight loss pill orlistat. Orlistat was initially approved in 1999 by the FDA as a prescription drug for obesity. In February 2007 the FDA approved Alli for over the counter use. Dr. Douglas Throckmorton, Deputy Director for the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research states that “the over the counter orlistat, along with diet and exercise, may aid overweight adults who seek to lose excess weight to improve their health.”
How Alli Promotes Weight Loss
Alli is said to prevent the body from absorbing about a quarter of the fat eaten. The undigested fat is then passed through the body. By reducing the amount of fat that is absorbed, the intake of calories is decreased and weight loss occurs.
Side Effects of Alli
The FDA states that the most common side effects of Alli are changes in bowel habits, which may include loose stools. The most common side effects reported were oily fecal spotting, flatus with discharge, fecal urgency and oily stool. Eating a low fat diet may help reduce this side effect.
Because of the fat malabsorption, Alli may prevent the absorption of the fat-soluble nutrients (vitamins A, D, E and K). It is recommended that those taking Alli should also take a multivitamin. People with a preexisting fat soluble deficiency should not take Alli.
People who have had an organ transplant should not take Alli because of possible drug interactions. Also anyone taking blood thinning medicines or being treated for diabetes or thyroid disease should consult a physician before using.
Dosing of Alli
It is recommended to take one to two 60mg tablets per meal. No more than six tablets should be taken a day. It is also recommended that only 30% of the meal should be fat. National Institutes of Health advise that weight-loss drugs be given only to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, or in the case of those with weight-related health problems, a BMI of 27 or more.
What the Research Says about Alli
Currently clinical research has only been done on Orlistat, the prescription version of Alli. The research for Orlistat has shown that patients who followed a low calorie diet (500-1000 calories) achieved a > 5% weight loss after 3 months. Because Alli is half the dose of Orlistat it is believed that Alli will produce half the result when following the same reduced calorie diet.
When considering Alli as a weight loss solution, a person should keep in mind that diet pill should only be used by those who are obese. Because many people find that the side effects of Alli outweigh the benefits, diet pills should be used after a person has been unsuccessful with a reduced calorie diet and physical activity. Always let your doctor know if you are using a diet pill.
References:
- FDA, Alli news release
- Rx. Over-the-counter orlistat: a weight loss "alli" or adversary on the horizon? AWHONN LIFELINES, 2006 Oct-Nov; 10(5): 418-21
- Sjostrom, Anderson, Boldrin, Galay, Koppeschaar, Krempf. Randomised placebo-controlled trial of orlistat for weight loss and prevention of weight regain in obese patients. Lancet; 07/18/98, Vol. 352 Issue 9123, p167
- Toplak , Ziegler, Keller, Hamann , Godin , Wittert , Zanella, Zúñiga-Guajardo , Van Gaal. X-PERT: weight reduction with orlistat in obese subjects receiving a mildly or moderately reduced-energy diet. Early response to treatment predicts weight maintenance. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Volume 7 Issue 6, Pages 699 - 708
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