Overweight Vs Obese

The launch of Alli (Orlistat) - the first FDA-approved for nonprescription drugs against obesity - is good news for millions of Americans are overweight and obese seriously. Alli, which should reach pharmacies this summer, consists of a reduction formula of the drug resistance of popular weight loss Xenical (orlistat) and is the only weight loss drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made available without prescription.

Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline Alli and manufacturer maintains the rights of products through Alli agreement with Roche, the maker of Xenical prescription only. Xenical has a safety record and stable proved to be moderately effective in helping obese people lose weight. Studies indicate that when patients take prescription Xenical in combination with a weight loss program, patients lost an average of 12.4 pounds of weight less than six months - about twice the amount lost by patients taking weight loss medication placebo. Some studies have suggested that Alli, half the dosage (and about one third the price of prescription Xenical) is almost as effective.

How does it work?

Alli is made of the same chemical structure as Xenical. The drug prevents dietary fat from being absorbed by the body after food consumption. The undigested fat is then eliminated from the body intestinal waste. As such, the drugs, it leads to a reduction in fat absorption by as much as 30%.
Alli will be available in 60 milligram capsules to be taken three times daily with meals that contain fat. Officials of GlaxoSmithKline said that the drug works by "blocking about 25 percent of the fat in food a person eats. Because of how it works, alli must be used in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet low in fat containing about 15 grams of fat per meal. "GlaxoSmithKline has also indicated that the drug helps people lose 50 percent more weight than diet. Alli will cost $ 12 to $ 25 per week.

"This is the only FDA approved, OTC-weight loss medication," Dr. Charles J. Ganley, director of FDA's Division of Over-the-counter drug, said during a teleconference. "There are a few products, mainly food supplements that make weight loss claims and those that are not approved by the FDA, even if they are allowed to make these claims.

Alli cons The epidemic of obesity in the United States

The FDA approval of the first prescription medication because of weight loss is that the United States and other Western countries are grappling with an unprecedented epidemic of obesity. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years and older - over 60 million people - are obese. An additional 36 percent of Americans are considered obese.

But diet pill Alli magic diets have asked? Maybe not, according to some researchers. Dr. Raj Padwal, assistant professor of general internal medicine at the University of Alberta, is uncertain about the effectiveness of the drug. "People can lose 1-2 kilograms (2.2 to 4.4 lbs) on this [half-strength dose of Xenical]. Whether it is useful is debatable, "Padwal said." The occasional patient may benefit, but many patients can not. For patients who need extra motivation to adhere to a diet low in fat, the drug can help. "

Alli is likely to cause direct harm very limited, but can also make sound limited, said Dr. David L. Katz, associate professor of public health and director of the Center for Prevention Research at the Yale School of Medicine of University. "[Alli] is a relatively ineffective aid weight loss," he said. "If the availability of drugs turning people away from the approach that has proven for weight control - eating right one.