Is Alli effective for weight loss? Does it work? Basically, the answer seems to be yes, if you also control your diet while as you are taking it. But there is also a downside.

Alli is the brand name for the over-the-counter form of orlistat. Orlistate is also available in prescription form as Xenical. When you ask for it at the drug store or pharmacy, you may like to know that it is pronounced like ally, not alley. Basically, Alli is a fat blocker, that works by preventing your body from absorbing fat in the food you eat. Alli is the one openly available drug whose weight loss claims are supported by the FDA. But don't think that Alli can overcome the effect of a large amount of fatty foods. This drug should be used together with a low fat diet plan under the supervision of a doctor.

How much weight loss you can achieve with Alli varies. In one study involving one-year clinical trials, between 35.5% and 54.8% of subjects attained a 5% or greater decrease in body mass, but it doesn't state how much of this mass was fat. Between 16.4% and 24.8% of the subjects achieved a 10% or more decrease in body mass. Note that when you take into account the reduced calorie diet also used in the diet, you might expect the effect to be greater than what was achieved. Alli was also shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. On average, after stopping Alli, study participants regained an average of one third of the weight that they had lost, but this is typical of most dieters.

Alli does have a disadvantage, and that is the side effects: digestive and bowel problems. As the undigested fat is expelled form the body, the more fat in your diet, the greater are these side effects. The result can be flatulence, loose stools and bowel incontinence, especially at the start of treatment, before the body becomes used to and adjusts to the drug. You really need to want to lose weight to take Alli. The following warning appears on the manufacturer's website: "You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work."

Note that if you stay with a recommended low fat diet, these side effects are reduced. Also, the manufacturer hints that these potentially embarrassing side effects can even be helpful in motivating you to keep to your diet. Always remember that Alli still requires consistent efforts toward weight loss from you and does not claim to work without it.. What they do claim is that Alli may improve your weight loss by up to 50%. That means a person who lost 12 pounds without taking Alli would lose 18 pounds by taking it. According to the manufacturer, it increases your weight loss and rewards your efforts with better results than you could get by yourself without it. Note though that results are not guaranteed and will vary by individual.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a magic diet pill that can melt away your excess pounds while you sleep,. However, Alli is a pill that has documented results that support its claim of improving the results of your weight loss efforts. If you have been struggling with diets without much success and are determined to get results, it's probably a good time to discuss Alli with your doctor and find out if it works for you.

Which Foods are "Negative Calorie" Foods

Pros and Cons of Low Carb Dieting

Why Are Fad Diets Bad for You?

How Does Conjugaed Linoleic Acid Help for Weight Loss?

Visualization for Weight Loss

Great Tool to Write Quality Articles in minutes!

You Can Get paid to submit articles like this. You don't need a website, and your participation is Free!