Alli

Alli is the over-the-counter version of Xenical and is a weight loss drug that works by blocking fat absorption. Alli's dosage is 60 mg, half the dosage of Xenical. Originally only available with a prescription, orlistat, the medical name for Alli, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States in 1999.FDA News: FDA Approves Orlistat for Over-the-Counter Use (February 7, 2007)

The active ingredient in Alli, is the generic drug named orlistat, which is also the same drug in prescription strength Xenical. This non-prescription weight loss drug is manufactured by and marketed by GlaxoSmithKline. Orlistat is in a class of drugs called fat blockers. It helps you to lose weight by blocking some of the fat that you eat and prevents it from being absorbed by the body. http://www.medicinenet.com/orlistat/article.htm While it is a non-prescription and over-the-counter weight loss aid, it is still important to discuss the use of this medication before taking. Always take exactly as directed by your doctor or as directed on the product usage instructions.

Alli works by blocking the absorption of 25% of fat a person consumes in the case of the over-the-counter dosage, and 30% in the case of the prescription dosage.#Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Diet drug debuting with big splash(June 8, 2007) WebMD: Prescription Weight Loss Medications

This non-prescription weight loss pill is meant to be taken as an aid to losing weight along with eating a healthy diet, not giving up fat. People need some fat in their diet because that is what helps your body to absorb vitamins and other functions. A long term approach to controlling your weight and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle garners the most satisfying results. Orlistat is the most studied weight loss medication, through more than 100 clinical studies that involved more than 30,000 patients. http://www.myalli.com/About_alli/alli_in_the_body.aspx

• Flatulence with dischargeFDA: Orlistat
• Oily stoolsFDA: Orlistat
• DiarrheaFDA: Orlistat
• Irregular bowel movementsFDA: Orlistat
• May impede absorption of fat-soluble vitaminsFDA: Orlistat

The field of obesity drugs is long and fraught with failure. Historical Roman treatments included laxatives and purgatives. In 1933, DNP was introduced, and discovered to cause fatal increases in heat at a cellular level.MedCEU: Obesity: The Disease, Treatment, and Drugs Amphetamines became popular around the same time, combined with a number of other drugs to counteract the side effects of amphetamines, but were implicated in a number of deaths in the late 60's and were banned for weight loss in 1979. A combination of phentermine and fenfluramine became extremely popular in 1992, and subsequently was found to cause heart disease in up to 30% of users.MedCEU: Obesity: The Disease, Treatment, and Drugs