Alli
Alli is a combination of the Alli pills and The Alli Diet Plan book. This is the first FDA approved non-prescription diet drug. Because of that fact, people expected great things from it. The pill is actually just a lesser strength of the prescription drugs Orlistat or Xenical.
The Plan
The diet plan consists of a low fat, calorie controlled meal plan. Combining this with the drug’s ability to suppress the absorption of fatty acids is supposed to be the formula for shedding weight quickly. The Alli pills work strictly in the digestive tract and controls the production of enzymes in the intestines used to breakdown and change food into fatty acids. Because it only works on digestion it does not affect heart rate, sleep patterns, brain activity, or the nerves. Since this is a big concern for many dieters, this characteristic draws much attention and has deemed it a safe product that does not require medical supervision.
Results
Company advertising campaigns claim that 50% of people lost more weight than with diet alone. However, Consumer Reports magazine reports that trials over six months time showed that extremely overweight people only lost an average of five pounds more than those taking a placebo. That means severely overweight people could count on losing about a pound a month after investing their money, time and energy into properly taking the Alli pills and following The Alli Diet Plan book.
According to the manufacturer themselves, the side effects of Alli include oily stools, vitamin deficiency, and flatulence. Having a reduced control of the bowels can prove less than comfortable and embarrassing. The company also recommends taking a multiple vitamin supplement to combat the vitamin deficiency. This may cause the average consumer that is concerned about weight loss to look a little harder at whether or not Alli is worth the investment. The less than shining results reported along with the cost and the unappealing side effects, may cause prospective customers to reconsider.