About The Weight Loss Pill: Alli

Alli is more than just a pill. The alli program promotes weight loss through its fat blocking pill, toning exercises, and reduced fat diet. For between $45 and $60, dieters can buy the starter pack that helps jump start their weight loss. The pill claims to help dieters lose 50% more weight than with diet and exercise alone.

Since alli isn’t an appetite suppressant, it won’t help people lose weight just by taking the pill. Dieters must follow the recommended diet and exercise program included with the starter pack. The pill is FDA approved but does have side effects and warnings about usage.

How Alli Works

Alli is another name for the drug Orlistat, and the pill is taken right before a main meal. The pill works by blocking around 25% of the fat ingested at each meal. The blocked fat is re-routed from the gastro-intestinal tract to the bowels. Since the pill works only in the stomach and digestive tract it shouldn’t affect other organs such as the liver and heart.

Dieters must take alli while engaging in a low-fat, low-calorie diet. The makers of alli recommend that users ingest no more than 15 grams of fat with each meal. Ingesting more fat than the recommended dose can lead to uncomfortable side effects.

Side Effects

Alli calls its side effects “treatment effects.” Since alli works by re-routing fat into the bowels, any meal too high in dietary fat results in loose stools or the inability to hold stools in. Some dieters believe this is a sign that they still need to change a part of their diet, while others will give up on the program due to the gastro-intestinal changes.

Alli recommends that dieters cut fat from their diet a few days before taking the first alli pill. This is supposed to help the body adjust to less fat and experience fewer side effects from the Orlistat.

Warnings and Precautions

While alli is FDA approved and considered safe, there are certain medication interactions that can make alli dangerous for some dieters. Anyone with an organ transplant should not take alli, as it interferes with the medications needed to prevent organ rejection.  Anyone who has problems absorbing food due to gastric bypass, gallbladder surgery, or some other medical condition, should avoid using alli. All dieters under medical care should discuss alli with their doctors before beginning the program.