UF experts urge caution with diet pill called Alli
University of Florida health experts caution students about a former prescription diet pill that blocks the absorption of fat.
The pill recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for sale over the counter is a reduced-strength version of Orlistat and will be sold as Alli.
Anne Kendall, a lecturer in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, said the pill blocks the absorption of fat consumed and the fat is then transferred to the stool.
Kendall said the pill is not a "magic bullet."
According to the Alli Web site, for every 5 pounds lost from dieting, Alli can take off an additional 2 to 3 pounds.
Kendall said the pill can cause diarrhea and deficiencies in vitamins A, D, E and K, but a multivitamin can help.
Kendall explained that Alli was probably approved because the research didn't present dangerous side effects since it's a lower dose. "One of the key things is to use it as directed," she said. "There's no guarantee that people won't take larger doses than recommended."
A larger intake of the pill could leave the organs unprotected because more fat is being blocked, she said.
Alli alone won't block all the fat absorption, which is why diet and exercise is required, she said.
Mark Murphy, a personal trainer intern at the Department of Recreational Sports, said he would warn anyone he was training against using artificial products. He said he thinks anyone using a weight-loss pill is avoiding a workout.
Murphy said he dealt with a female student who used a diet pill and lost 7 pounds in two weeks to prepare for Spring Break. During the break the student regained the weight because she had only shed water weight. He explained she became sick because of dehydration and alcohol.
He said just because a person looks good on the outside, it doesn't mean they're healthy inside. He said it's important to monitor heart rate, blood pressure and bowel movements, if using a diet pill.
Mariana Fonseca, 19, a dietetics major, said she doesn't know if Alli will become popular on campus, but she does not support the use of diet pills.
Exercise and diet alone are the healthiest ways to lose weight, even for those who are obese, she said. "People are going to think this is a miracle pill and that's bad because it's not," she said. "It's healthy to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week."
Fonseca counts calories and exercises as part of a regimen for a health condition that can cause her to gain weight. "Whatever you put into your body is what you get out of it," she said.
The pill recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for sale over the counter is a reduced-strength version of Orlistat and will be sold as Alli.
Anne Kendall, a lecturer in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, said the pill blocks the absorption of fat consumed and the fat is then transferred to the stool.
Kendall said the pill is not a "magic bullet."
According to the Alli Web site, for every 5 pounds lost from dieting, Alli can take off an additional 2 to 3 pounds.
Kendall said the pill can cause diarrhea and deficiencies in vitamins A, D, E and K, but a multivitamin can help.
Kendall explained that Alli was probably approved because the research didn't present dangerous side effects since it's a lower dose. "One of the key things is to use it as directed," she said. "There's no guarantee that people won't take larger doses than recommended."
A larger intake of the pill could leave the organs unprotected because more fat is being blocked, she said.
Alli alone won't block all the fat absorption, which is why diet and exercise is required, she said.
Mark Murphy, a personal trainer intern at the Department of Recreational Sports, said he would warn anyone he was training against using artificial products. He said he thinks anyone using a weight-loss pill is avoiding a workout.
Murphy said he dealt with a female student who used a diet pill and lost 7 pounds in two weeks to prepare for Spring Break. During the break the student regained the weight because she had only shed water weight. He explained she became sick because of dehydration and alcohol.
He said just because a person looks good on the outside, it doesn't mean they're healthy inside. He said it's important to monitor heart rate, blood pressure and bowel movements, if using a diet pill.
Mariana Fonseca, 19, a dietetics major, said she doesn't know if Alli will become popular on campus, but she does not support the use of diet pills.
Exercise and diet alone are the healthiest ways to lose weight, even for those who are obese, she said. "People are going to think this is a miracle pill and that's bad because it's not," she said. "It's healthy to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week."
Fonseca counts calories and exercises as part of a regimen for a health condition that can cause her to gain weight. "Whatever you put into your body is what you get out of it," she said.
