A popular diet pill on the shelves of UK stores, such as Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy and online. Let’s take a deeper and more in-depth look at it.
Alli is clinically proven to boost weight loss when added to a reduced calorie, lower fat diet. Alli is the only clinically proven, pharmacy-only weight loss aid medicine in the UK – it isn’t a miracle pill or quick-fix solution.
The most serious side effect concerns the cases of severe liver injury that have been reported with the use of this medication by the FDA.
Alli costs £50 for a one month pack (84 capsules).
By carefully following a low-fat diet and regular exercise programme, then this product may offer modest weight loss at best.
We can see no reason why any consumers would wish to suffer the unpleasant side effects that seem to have affected many consumers, and pay the high cost for what is such little weight loss.
Other clinically proven brands such as Proactol Plus and XLS Medical Fat Binder have less side effects reported by consumers and been shown to work, often cost less too!
For these reasons, we do not recommend Alli diet pills to our readers.
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Alli, pronounced “Ally”, was first launched in the US in June 2007 as the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved weight loss aid available without prescription. Alli became available in 2009 in the UK when promoted as the lower strength over the counter version of the effective prescription drug, Xenical owned by Roche.
Whereas Xenical contains 120mg of the active ingredient Orlistat, Alli contains half the dose of 60mg. It was allowed to be sold in licensed chemists under the guidelines that staff ensured anyone buying it was over 18 years old and had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 28. Source
There were a number of anecdotal reports from consumers and watchdog organisations that suggested the “only sell to consumers with a BMI of 28 or more” was largely not enforced.
Alli is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and in 2011 they were reported to be trying to sell this brand along with other over the counter weight loss products they owned. It’s been reported that they took this decision due to the poor performance of Alli sales and the wish to diversify. Source
Looking at the Official website now and it seems that GSK still own the brand.
It claims to…
For every 2 lb you work to lose through healthy eating, alli can help you lose 1 lb more…
It does this by…
alli works by blocking 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed so makes your healthy choices even healthier.
There are a number of studies supporting the use of Orlistat in the treatment for obesity. Clinical trials undertaken by GSK with Alli showed that…
when used in conjunction with a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet, can help people lose 50 per cent more weight than by dieting alone
Interestingly trials with Orlistat have given mixed results with the weight loss achieved, with one study showing on average a 5-10% decrease in body mass during a one-year clinical trial.
This same study showed a significant number of the subjects regaining up to 35% of weight after stopping taking Orlistat!
More information can be found here.
It would seem that Alli can trigger modest reductions in weight loss, although Orlistat can cause gastrointestinal side effects.
More information here.
Alli belongs to the type of diet pills called Fat Binders that aims to reduce the amount of dietary fat absorbed in your meal. Studies have shown that up to 25% of the fat can be absorbed by blocking the enzymes that break down fats in the intestine. These undigested fats are then later removed from the body by the bowels.
There is only one active ingredient in this product, which is Orlistat the ingredient found in higher strength in the prescription only drug, Xenical. As the dose is half that seen in Xenical no medical supervision is required when taking it.
So, what is Orlistat?
Alli is a non prescription, safer (although not side effect free, see below), over the counter versions of prescription drug Xenical.
When taken alongside a diet low in fat and regular exercise, this product can help in reducing calorie consumption by reducing the breakdown of some dietary fats in your meal.
The most concerning side effect concerns the cases of severe liver injury that have been reported with the use of this medication by the FDA.
Read the full FDA Report on Alli here
We should make clear that only 13 cases of severe liver injury have been reported worldwide between April 1999 and August 2009.
Other common side effects do occur though, the most common being consumers have reporting loose bowels when taking Alli, which has led to the phrase “Alli Oops”. These rather unpleasant side effects occurs because of the urgent bowel movements from having oily, loose stools that contain excessive fats! The need to frequently need the toilet has meant consumers have been confined to the bathroom!
When taking this, you are recommended to take a multivitamin with a meal because the supplement can reduce the levels of some essential fat-soluble vitamins.
Caution:
Alli is not recommended for pregnant or nursing mothers, anyone taking warfarin or ciclosporin, and anyone allergic to Orlistat. In 2010 the FDA said that Alli should carry new warnings about the potential of severe liver injury.
There are mixed reviews from consumers who have tried it.
Some of positive reviews include…
Best product to aid a healthy eating plan for safe weight loss . Easy to take with each meal .I have tried many things on the market and Alli is the best .
In contrast negative reviews include…
This product worked in a way that it made me go to the toilet more often but it did not have any effect on weight loss overall!
Common themes amongst consumers with negative experiences are related to the need to frequently use the toilet. This was by all means not the experience for consumers taking Alli though.
Alli does not provide for money back guarantee.
Alli used to be one of the main weight loss brands promoted by High Street shops Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy, not to mention clearly visible on TV adverts day and night.
Anyone selling Alli are suppose to check the supplement is suitable by ensuring the Body Mass Index (BMI) is above 28. We have received reports that this rarely happens!
This product comes in various packs from 42, 84 and 120 tablets, as you take up to 3 tablets per day only the largest pack contains enough for one month’s supply.
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| Side Effect Free | ||
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| Review | Phentaslim Review |
The Diet Pills Watchdog does not recommend Alli.
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Disclaimer: Our reviews and investigations are based on extensive research from the information publicly available to us and consumers at the time of first publishing the post. Information is based on our personal opinion and whilst we endeavour to ensure information is up-to-date, manufacturers do from time to time change their products and future research may disagree with our findings. If you feel any of the information is inaccurate, please contact us and we will review the information provided.
120mg in Xenica,ive used these for many years as due to arthritis in my spine it limits my mobility during winter due to lack of exercise i gain weight spring time onwards i can loose 2 stone no trouble but a low fat diet a must
I was 190 in 2009. found out about Alli from a friend and started it with a low fat low calorie diet and by 2010 I was 160. Alli really works! But you must be careful of consuming too much fatty foods or you will have an oily stool when you use the bathroom or when you pass gas. But it works and I didnt have any bad side affects at all.
Hi Lee, my name is Rose and I work for a TV production company called Little Gem. I would really like to talk to you about your Alli pill experience. If you are interested please email me at [email protected] Thank you
look @ dis site a lot and one week a pill is good only too be rubish the next week??
Hi Mary,
Products are sometimes changed and consumer feedback can vary overtime, not too mention that merchants also provide us with more information too. All these factors can affect our ratings and opinions on a particular supplement. Please get in touch and let us know specifics, or if you’re referring to this supplement then please elaborate more here.
Kind regards,
Diet Pills Watchdog Team