http://www.myalli.com/

Alli, claiming to be the "only FDA approved over-the-counter weight loss product" will be up for grabs on June 15th. There are already people pre-ordering on Amazon and Walgreens online.

Any thoughts on this? I'm not even sure what is IN it, the website doesn't seem to make it clear... at least it emphasizes that it is only beneficial when combined with exercise and healthy eating choices.

Hmm.

It's xenical (orlistat) at a reduced strength.

I've been taking it for about 2 months. I was with a group of people who were chosen to try it ahead of time. I have not had any trouble with it, but you really need to read ALL of the information that comes with it and stick to a lowfat/low calorie diet. Otherwise you can have some unpleasant side effects (they call them treatment effects).
I have done well, probably would have done better if I hadn't stopped taking it for a bit around Memeorial day. I do stop taking it about 48 hours before I have a special event, but like with any other diet I needed to get right back on track, other wise I just would have given up.
Alli works in your digestive system, so it doesn't cause your heart to race, or give you "the jitters".

OK here are my thoughts

Since the pill blocks absorption of SOME of the fat you eat, but you have to eat a low fat diet in order to avoid some pretty unpleasant side effects, its primary benefit is as a behaviour modification tool.

If you are capable at sticking to a lowfat healthy diet on your own, the benefit is small, alli only will absorb about 100-130 calories a day - and with that you are risking losing the benefits of healthy fats and some of your fat soluble vitamins. And I question whether in the long run it will have benefits as you would eventually want to stop taking it.

However, if you really struggle with eating well, the negative reinforcement you get with the side effects MAY help you retrain your eating habits. Kind of like the way gastric bypass forces you to eat small meals. I think if you really want to be healthy and follow a plan it could help, but if it is seen as an "easy way out" it is a bad idea.

ennay-- I think your analysis is right on, and a good way to think about it.

I just wanted to clarify, as a psychologist, that from a behavioral perspective, negative consequences are "punishment" not "negative reinforcement".

Negative reinforcement occurs when an aversive stimulus is removed from the environment and the behavior that seemed to cause it is reinforced -- meaning it is more likely to occur again. A classic example is when you get in your car and there's this annoying beeping sound, which stops when you put on your seatbelt. Putting on your seatbelt is the behavior that has been reinforced. We call it "negative" because now that annoying beeping is gone.

Punishment refers to the presence of an aversive stimulus making a behavior LESS likely to occur in the future. With alli the "digestion issues" are supposed to make the behavior (eating fatty foods) LESS likely to occur in the future.

From a behavioral perspective, punishment is not always as effective as reinforcement... but I've probably been on the for too long as it is!! !

I hope I didn't hijack the thread!

One psychologist to another, THANK YOU for posting that!

In response to the question, I'm planning on purchasing this. I'm starting to lose weight after having two babies since January 2006, or at least I'm trying to. It's hard getting motivated and dealing with the many lifestyle changes accompanying two kids in diapers. So if I even buy one pack of this and it gives my weight loss efforts an initial boost, I will be happy. Then I can hopefully continue the weight loss without any extra help.

Would something like this be beneficial to someone who only has 10 pounds to lose?

You're welcome! That's a hard concept -- at least my students think so!

The literature stresses that it should only be used if you are overweight. Your goal weight may be 10 pounds away, but are you within the guidelines for your height?

I want to thank everyone for your advice on this thread. I don't think this product is for me since I don't have much weight to lose. Does anyone know the price for this product? Thanks.

Sorry, I'm such a dunce! Just saw the ads on the side so I know it'll cost about $50 for the starter pack but how many pills do you get and how long does a pack last? Thanks for putting up with my questions!!!

I clicked on the link..that's 60 pills, and I believe you take 3 pills a day, so it lasts 20 days. The refill pack contains 120 pills for about $74.

Well, Im going to give this one a try. I picked up my starter pack at walgreens.....wasnt available at cvs until tomorrow.

Im very curious to see how this works, and how much difference it makes in my weightloss.

The side effects dont bother me too much. As long as you eat the way you are suppose to, you should be fine. As far as the literature says. I like the fact that it doesnt effect my heart, or nervous system, or mess with anything else. Just blocks the fat from being absorbed. Worth a try for me.

I decided to wait until more reviews came, but I was at Walgreen's for something else so I peeked in the diet drug section. It was already sold out! I'm not that surprised given the buzz surrounding its release, but I thought that was interesting.

i got the starter pack it had 90 pills in it