Had anyone heard about the new weight loss aid alli? We are going to start carrying it at work on the 13th-15th which is how I learned of it. It definitely sounds interesting. It is the non-prescription version of orlistat (xenical?). Instead of the common 120mg, it is 60. What I appreciate is that the manufatctures don't claim that it is a miracle pill. They reiterate over and over that anyone who wants to take the pills needs to commit to eating a low-cal low-fat diet. It recommends no more than 15g of fat per meal to avoid "treatment effects" (read side-effects). Apparently it can help a person lose 50% more weight than with just dieting.
Doesn't sound too funky overall. The side-effects are gross but seem to be manageable. The key facts page say that it doesn't have a systemic effect which is great and you can stop taking it any time. I'm honestly considering taking it once the weight loss contest at work is over. I don't think that I will BUY it from work because I'm not sure I want any coworkers knowing I'm taking it. I don't want them to think that I took it during the contest, ya know? I want to win if possible but will not cheat to do it.
Has anyone ever taken orlistat or is taking it? I really want to get my diabetes under control and feel that weight loss is going to be the best way to do it, other than diet and exercise. If I can lost enough weight to lower my levels it would be worth it to bear any "treatment effects" should I slip up on a meal. If we already are committed to eating a low-cal, low -fat diet, why not boost it? :P I still need to talk it over with DH, he won't be too thrilled with the price but I think my health is completely worth it.
I thought it sounded promising, until one of the members pointed out that the benefits were very small compared to the cost.
from Rock Chalk Chick:
Quote:
This drug came up in 20-somethings the other day - it's a 60mg dose of orlistat, which is half the 120mg prescription dose (aka Xenical). Xenical does work, to some extent, but it functions by blocking absorption of 25-30% of the fat you eat, which can lead to some rather unpleasant side effects (that fat has to go somewhere, and your large intestine isn't necessarily cut out to handle greasy stools). There's a Xenical thread in this section that discusses the side effects more thoroughly.
Even without the potential for GI fireworks, the real decision for me is the cost-vs-results... I did a little math about it in the other thread and I'll just cut-and-paste that bit:
Predicted prices are $50/60 pills to $75/120 pills... so about $.70/pill, or $2/day. So, I take the pills and eat 1600 calories a day, 25% from fat (or 400 calories), and it blocks 25% of the fat (or 100 calories), which means I'm paying $2 per day to block 100 calories??? (The recommendations of the alli website say it should be paired with a low calorie, low-fat diet, with no more than 15g of fat per meal... 15g x 9 calories/gram = 135 fat calories per meal, or 400 per day.)
When it comes down to it, I think I can find a better way to spend $50+ a month than to lose an extra pound or two per month!
They are already telling you to eat low calorie and low fat. That is where your loss is going to come from. Not there pill. I know it's tempting to try things like this but they really are a bunch of scammers in my book.
Scammers? The drug doesn't do what they're saying it does? Some dishonesty in descriptions? I don't see that.
Reality is that it's not for people who are getting most of their calories from lean protein and low-fat dairy and vegetables. It's going to appeal to people who idea of dinner is Doritos or nachos with cheese and sourcream or Big Macs. And yes, in those cases cutting the fat calories absorbed is significant.
I have been taking Xenical 120mg (as prescribed to me by my surgery) for 4 days now and am already seeing results.
It is true that I am now on a low fat diet and this is likely to be where the majority of the weightloss comes from but normally I do not manage to handle the low fat diet too well and end up binging. But since being on these pills the thought of the nasty side effecs have so far been enough to keep me on the straight and narrow.
From what I can work out the tablets do help you to lose more than you would by just managing your diet and exercising. because it is still not absorbing 30% of the fat you eat, and because this is much lower on your diet your body has to turn to the fat stores you already have much quicker (30% quicker!) and therefore the weightloss should be more speedy than it would have been otherwise.
I don't think this pill is going to be for everyone as it doesn't restrict your appitite as such but I do not think it is a fad pill or a gimmick as some have suggested. I am in the UK and believe me our NHS would not spend money on distributing this to obese people if it was not likely to work. It does only ask for a 5% loss in the first 3 months though so they are not asking for, or expecting, miracles - which is they key, I think.
There's a lot of truth in all of the above posts . . .
For those of us lucky enough to be able to control our own "fat taste buds" . . . it would be a waste of money.
For those of us with a real "fat addiction" . . . the threat of those nasty side effects would help us stick to the straight and narrow path.
The bottom line . . . of course it will be the actual lower fat/lower calorie eating plan that gets the weight off.
Everybody has to find their own best route to the same goal . . . different strokes for different folks as they say. One of my favourite things about 3FC is being able to hear about all those different methodologies and how they work for some people. Keep up the good work everybody . . .
I just don't think we need to look for a pill to fix everything. Maybe it does do what it says but even if it does it's not going to fix the problem most of us have. You have to decide whether you are going to live a healthy life style and once you decide that you will.
Melissa, thats good if you *can* control your eating without the tablet but like the guy above you says this is to help people who cannot control their eating alone.
Howie - I can only speak for myself but I have to say I am not looking for a pill to fix everything. Just the very serious obesity problem I have that I am unable to fix on my own and would probably end up killing me if left untreated.
And actually the pill will solve the longer term problems because you still have to adopt a low fat and exercise plan otherwise the pill won't work. Its not systematic so it doesn't enter your blood so the side effects are only directly related to what you consume. The fear of the side effects related to extra fat exiting the body will be enough to keep most people on the straight and narrow and by the time the weight has been lost patients of this drug will have well and truely re-learned how to eat healthily.
I am not always in favour of medication when there are alternative measures available but the point is this is often a last resort.
First off the ads do not claim that it's a miracle drug. In fact the ads are doing everything they can to make people realize that it's a lifestyle change and won't cause instant results. I was already thinking the cost is very prohibitive and when broken down to the day-by-day cost doesn't seem worth it at all (thanks Suzanne!). However, I still think it would be useful in getting more consistent weight loss results. Don't forget people who are morbidly obese and have been told they have a significantly shortened life span because of their weight and related problems. That little %50 more makes a big difference for them.
I've been thinking about whether or not to buy alli all day at work as I was going about my activities and have started leaning toward NOT buying it. I work in a grocery store and am the one person who knows where everything is, cost, etc since I do the price changes. There are so many foods/recipes that aren't low fat enough for the pills but that aren't horrible enough to cut out of an everday diet to avoid the "GI fireworks". Then after reading on the alli wesite, some people asked about stopping the pill to have a celebration related meal and then just taking it again afterwards. The abuse potential of doing that is huge. First it's only for the holiday that you skip a pill or two, then it's every other week, then every other day, then every day and finally you stop taking those $60 pills. I mean, if we want to ruin everything we've worked for on a meal or twelve, we can do that on a pill-free "diet" right?
I was very careful watching the fat content in my meal choices today and I have to say that if I ate like today, every day, the pill would have nothing to absorb! I've gone 7 weeks by making more careful choices in food/activities and think that maybe, just maybe, I can lose the weight on my own. The pills still seem relatively reasonable, but unless the weight just stops coming off, I don't think I'll get them after all.
I don't think it is worth it. Xenical has been around for ages and obviously obesity is still here. This forum has lots of people who have lost over 100 lbs and kept it off for a period of time, but I don't know one of them that has used Xenical or any diet pill.
Alli, like xenical, is more of a behavioral tool. If you need a behavioral tool, then go ahead and buy it. If you can change your lifestyle on your own, then all the better.
And actually the pill will solve the longer term problems because you still have to adopt a low fat and exercise plan otherwise the pill won't work. Its not systematic so it doesn't enter your blood so the side effects are only directly related to what you consume. The fear of the side effects related to extra fat exiting the body will be enough to keep most people on the straight and narrow and by the time the weight has been lost patients of this drug will have well and truely re-learned how to eat healthily.
That it works for you is great. That a lot of people are going to use it instead of sticking their fingers down their throats, isn't so great. And yes, this is one way it's going to be used.
Maria - I am sorry, I don't understand what benefit people will get from taking the tablet and sticking their fingers down their throat? If they are purging after eating then the food wont have a chance to be absorbed (or not absorbed ) by the tablet so taking the tablet will have no use at all. If they are doing it thinking it will reduce the fat and they can throw up to avoid the calories, well the reduction of fat absorbtion wont work until its too late to throw it up as far as I can see.
Of course, there will always be ignorant people who try what you are saying thinking it will lead to a quicker weightloss but they they will probably be purging anyway.
I don't think this risk is enough to warrant the pill not being available, although it probably should still be prescription only.
New weight loss aid
