Alli , the much anticipated, fat-blocking diet pill has been on pharmacy shelves for around three weeks now and the drug’s future is still beyond speculation. In effect, the pill is a low-dose, FDA approved version of the prescription only, Xenical, both of which prevent the body from absorbing around a quarter of ingested fat, according to Alli manufacturer, Glaxo Smith Kline. But, controversy still surrounds the drug and many wonder if shedding a few pounds is worth the hassle.

Alli has been in the news for a number of reasons. For one, it is one of the first diet pills sanctioned by the FDA. But, the real headline maker for the pill has been its unsettling side effects, which, according to the manufacturer, can include uncontrollable diarrhea and “gas with oily spotting.” These “treatment effects” can be so explosive that the company has recommended that users pack a change of clothes until they can acclimate to the drug.

Certain Glaxo Smith Kline message boards dedicated to the pill’s side effects are a horror show of detailed bodily functions. One user recently described a bout with treatment effects at her office, though luckily, she says, “it didn’t soak through to my chair.”

“I believe the fries are what did it,” another poster speculates. “…I had some strange oily deposits. Like when you put oil in water but only an orange color.”

Some critics argue that the relatively low weight loss results don’t warrant the risk of potentially inflated dry cleaning bills. Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate, recently charged that the drug was barely effective in clinical trials and that users could have achieved the same weight loss by simply cutting out a thousand calories per week. Other critics worry that the drug may also block healthy fats.

The pill seems to be selling well through it all. And the majority of users have reported no ill side effects. In fact, some were upset that they didn’t experience treatment effects and claimed to intentionally eat fatty foods to see what would happen, often with no yucky results. Others claim to have lost 5 to 10 lbs in the first week of treatment with no side effects at all.

At the end of the day, the equation is simple: the more fat you eat while taking Alli, the more will be passed through and discharged. In some ways the side effects are more incentive than anything to eat lower fat meals.

“It makes me stick to a diet,” one user admitted. “I know what will happen if I don’t.”

Source: http://www.columbiacitypaper....;