If you remember Olestra (a fat that was unabsorbed by the body) and its side effects, you will know what the deal is with Alli. In February this year, the FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline’s “Alli” an over-the-counter version of prescription orlistat (Xenical). It is a drug that blocks enzymes that break down fat, preventing the body from absorbing fat from ingested foods. The side effects of the drug are the extremely uncomfortable effects of not absorbing fat: fatty stools, fecal urgency and gas. Obviously these side effects are triggered by ingestion of fats, so the Alli Web site (www.myalli.com) encourages users to think of these “treatment effects” as an “incentive to keep from eating too much fat.”
What I don’t understand is, if the idea is to prevent you from eating fat, isn’t that just a diet? Moreover, the Web site also has a “readiness quiz” for the drug regimen. You are deemed ready to go on Alli if you are willing to commit to the hard work it takes to lose weight, eat smaller portions, eat a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet, and be more active. If you are doing these things, you are on a diet, so why would you want Alli and all its unpleasant effects?
Naming the drug to sound like a cute little girl’s name makes it all too transparent who GlaxoSmithKline is targeting. Where orlistat was only suggested for prescription to the extremely obese, half-strength Alli can be snatched up by any woman who is unhappy with her body image. Although Alli is only suggested for those above a certain BMI, the potential for abuse seems pretty blatant. On the other hand, obesity is a real and growing health threat in America. Anti-obesity drugs are sometimes viewed as tools to psychologically empower people to lose weight. If Alli can produce results and sustain them, then more power to it. My inner skeptic says loose stools and fecal urgency does not seem like a sustainable option.
