Proactol Blog

Alli, Friend or Foe?

There are many weight loss supplements on the market today. There is a difference though, between drugs and supplements. Despite the fact that they both exert a change in our bodies, drugs are still more regulated than the supplements are, partly due to the fact that supplements can display a disclaimer on the bottle saying their effectiveness has not been evaluated. In spite of the rigorous testing and evaluation that all drugs are subjected to, there is always a risk associated with the use of any substance that causes a reaction in the body. Often, these are called side effects.

Alli was first approved for prescription only use in 1999. Alli then hit the weight loss market in an over the counter (no prescription required) form in 2007. It has had a vigorous advertising campaign and has been used by many to achieve weight loss. Studies have shown that weight loss does occur for people taking the drug and following a low fat diet. Hmm, I wonder how much weight these people would have lost simply by following a low fat diet, without the pills. Regardless, people did slowly lose weight while on Alli.

Now let’s look at the down side of Alli. There are many listed side effects that are disclosed by the makers of the drug. I don’t know about you, but I am not sure that I am prepared to suffer from fecal incontinence, diarrhea and back pain, just to name a few. Add to this bloating, gas and abdominal cramping, with a little greasy discharge and quite frankly, I would be too scared to even try it. I would rather carry a few extra pounds before I had to wear an adult diaper. Recent news releases have shown that this is not the half of it.

Alli has been shown to cause pre-cancerous lesions in the colons of mice that are being given the drug. There is no evidence at this point that the lesions are definitely cancerous, but they are pre-cancerous, meaning that the cells have changed, and often irregular cells go on to become cancerous cells. Is the sake of a few pounds of weight loss worth your life? I would have to say no, it isn’t.