New Weight Loss Pill To Go on Sale in the UK

In February 2009 the FDA approved orlistat, to be sold as the brand name Alli by Roche, for use by those aged 18 and over for over the counter use. The drug is sold in 60 mg capsules, half of the prescription dose.
There has been a link associated with the drug and pre-cancerous colon polyps and orlistat.
So does Alli work?
Alli reduces the amount of fat the body absorbs. It also causes loose and oily stools as well as oily discharge. This drug can also interfere with the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, K and E. Should you be taking Alli, it is recommended that you also take a multivitamin .
Alli can help dieters who have adapted a healthy diet to lose weight, consumers ought not to expect dramatic results from taking the drug. Alli retails at $49.95 for a starter package of 60, $64.95 for 90, and $76.95 a refill package of 120 capsules.
Dr. James Anderson, head of the UK College of Medicine Metabolic Research Group, and colleagues tested the effects of 60 mg orlistat on mildly to moderately overweight individuals. Other studies had just considered the drug’s effect on obese people.
Study participants had orlistat or a placebo thrice a day with meals for 4 months. The research highlighted that those taking orlistat and following low fat diets shed nearly 5 % of initial body weight, between 7 to to 15 pounds in 16 weeks.
The drug is not effective unless you have a certain amount of fat in your diet . A lot of people on low fat diets eat a great many carbohydrates .
Anderson acknowledges that a weight loss of 2 to 4 pounds on a monthly basis is not dramatic, however, steady weight loss can have great health benefits. Reduction in cholesterol of even 10% can lower the risk of heart attack by 20%.
But Wolfe disagreed and said the overweight people would do better to follow a healthy diet and exercise .
A further downside is that when you stop using the drug, you put the weight back on.

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