Many dieters have heard of the pill Alli. This over-the-counter diet pill was originally a prescription only medication designed for men and women who were obese. When considering the purchase of the pill, it is important to find out the key factors like side effects, effectiveness for weight loss and whether the pill is worth the expense.
What is Alli?
The Alli diet pill is an over-the-counter medication sold for weight loss. It was originally a prescription medication for obese men and women who were losing weight with the assistance of their medical doctor. The prescription name of Alli is Orlistat or Xenical and the over-the-counter version has half the strength of the prescription version of the medication.
At half the strength of the original prescription medication, the pill still provides the same active ingredients and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe to sell over-the-counter for weight loss. Buyers must be at least 18 years old before they are allowed to purchase this weight loss medication from a pharmacy.
Doctors do not suggest that Alli alone will cause weight loss. Instead, they suggest combining the medication with diet and exercise for improved weight loss results.
How Does Alli Work?
Alli is designed to help lower the amount of calories absorbed by the body while taking the medication. It is designed to prevent the body from absorbing fat from meals and thus lowering the number of calories absorbed into the body throughout the day.
The active ingredients in Alli help disable the enzymes that break down fat during digestion and thus prevent the body from breaking down the fat into an absorbable state. When the enzyme lipase is inactive, the body will not be able to absorb or use the fat and thus the number of calories stored is lowered.
Fat eaten with a meal is instead left in the digestive tract and then removed by the body safely through bowel movements. The result is that the high calorie content found in fat is not absorbed and ultimately the results are improved weight loss.
Weight Loss Effectiveness:
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One of the main questions that ultimately comes up when looking at Alli as an addition to a weight loss plan is the effectiveness of the pill. After several years of study, the FDA and clinical doctors have determined that the prescription medication is able to effectively help users lose weight when it is used appropriately.
The amount of weight is mild when compared to those who lose weight through diet and exercise alone. Clinical studies of the prescription version suggest that most men and women can expect to lose around five to seven pounds in a year more than those who only use diet and exercise to lose weight.
Since the data relates to the prescription version of the medication, doctors estimate that the over-the-counter version of the medication would have results that are roughly half the results of the prescription. This means men and women can expect to lose around three to five pounds more when compared to their results while combining the pill with diet and exercise.
Side Effects:
The most likely side effects most users of Alli experience are mild. The common symptoms include gas with oily discharge, loose stools and more bowel movements. This is often minimized by eating a low-fat diet.
Though the common symptoms are mild and merely inconvenient, some liver damage has been reported and investigations are underway to determine if Alli is the cause or if another factor is involved.
Alli is an effective way to help improve weight loss. While it can help by lowering calories absorbed in fat, the pill should not stand alone as a weight loss option. It is most effective when combined with a low-fat, low-calorie diet and exercise regimen.