Is Alli For You?
Yesterday I was reading the Houston paper and a headline of “Side Effects Not Slowing Alli Diet-Pill Boom” caught my attention. Naturally I just had to read through this article to read about the side effects of the first ever FDA-approved nonprescription diet pill.
In my former life, when I was binge eating, I would have been first in line to try the Alli product. I know that I would have thought that it was the answer to stop binge eating AND to losing weight… Oh, I am so glad that I have different thoughts now.
As I read the article in the paper, I couldn’t help but laugh at some of the nasty side effects of this pill. (I promise that I’m not insensitive to people wanting to lose weight.) In addition to taking the pill, you are supposed to eat a low-fat diet that does not go over 45 grams of fat per day. Well, from my own experience with different forms of dieting, I know that I would have surpassed the recommended 45 grams of fat per day. I would have thought that this new pill was my excuse for eating a lot of fat.
Apparently, I am not the only one that shares this belief. Many people that have tried the Alli pill noticed some leaky stools and other not-so-pleasant things.
According to the manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, the potential for “gas with oily spotting, loose stools, or more frequent stools that may be hard to control” can be a result of eating more than 15 fat grams.
There is even an “accident support group” on the Alli website where people share their bowel movement stories and leaks with one another.
I’m not so sure that I would be able to stick to something with these embarrassing side effects, could you?