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OTC Diet Pill No "Alli" In Flab Fight |
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Written by Vanessa Bale
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Saturday, 16 June 2007 |
After trying out a plethora of crash diets and supplements that promise quick meltdown of flab, obese individuals are bound to look out for slimming or diet pills that can safely remove fat, but do not prevent them from consuming a hearty meal at the same time.
The US Food and Drug Administration's approval for Glaxo's diet pill Alli to be sold over the counter is one such product.
Obesity is a dangerous condition which pre-disposes people to the development of heart disease, cancer and diabetes or the so-called lifestyle diseases. Last year a report in the Journal of American Medical Association revealed increasing obesity and overweight rates among Americans.
The World Health Organization has declared obesity as a global epidemic having major health implications in 1997. It estimated that some 2 billion people worldwide are obese or overweight.
While there are many crash diets and fads prescribed to obese people none of these work in the long run. Glaxo's drug Alli is touted to fight fat. However the need is to consume a low-calorie diet as well. So it is unclear if the diet itself or the drug is responsible for weight loss.
Alli is also being marketed as the "only FDA-approved over-the-counter weight loss product." GlaxoSmithKline said in a released statement that Alli when used in combination with diet and exercise had the potential to reduce 50 percent more weight than dieting alone.
With the overweight and obesity epidemic showing no signs of slowing down, consumers might embrace alli especially as it does not require any prescription. The active ingredient in alli is orlistat, which was first approved by the FDA as a prescription drug in 1999.
While approving Alli for ITC sales, the FDA said it was indicated for use in adults ages 18 years and older along with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet, and exercise program. Alli helps produce weight loss by decreasing the intestinal absorption of fat, the FDA said, adding that people must take the 60mg capsule three times a day following a fat-laden meal.
GlaxoSmithKline said Alli works by blocking 25 percent of fat in the foods consumed and also by reducing the amount of fat and calories absorbed.
Thus far diet pills have targeted centers in brain that regulate hunger. They have looked to suppress hunger and in turn food intake so as to reduce weight. However experts have cautioned that weight loss pills are no magic bullets. Inability to lose weight is forcing people to turn to weight loss pills in order to trim down.
However GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has launched an online program in order to help people reduce weight through Alli. Some 400 people began the program called alli First Team in April 2007. Glaxo promises to deliver the following as a part of the plan:
- Customized online action plan
- Recipes, meal plans and shopping lists
- Online tools to record food and lifestyle information
- Connection to a network of other alli users
- Personalized e-mails that deliver lessons about: meal planning, managing hunger, dealing with setbacks, and making the food and lifestyle changes to help people succeed.
The FDA has cautioned that one side effect of Alli is a change in bowel habits, which may include loose stools. Additionally people who have had an organ transplant should not take the drug. People taking blood thinning medicines or being treated for diabetes or thyroid disease should first consult their doctors before starting the drug.
In conclusion, while the OTC diet pill may have a good safety profile, it is always advisable to trim down in the natural way - that is by eating a balanced diet and being ac active as possible.
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