www.dontgetthin-gethealthy.com
By Loraine Holden
Diet Drugs in on-line news

Diet drugs always get attention. Too many people have tried everything to lose weight. I want to analyze the information about Alli and Hoodia.

Alli is being promoted by Smith, Kline Glaxo. The write-up is very honest, saying that their pill is not magic and only in addition to exercise and a healthy diet. They say subjects who took Alli lost 2-3 pounds more than the 5 pounds lost by control subjects during the same time. If this is a healthy 5 lbs. a month, will another 2 pounds really make you want to use the pill? It works by causing 25% of the fat in your diet not to be absorbed. However the side effect of loose stools can be troublesome.

The write-up about Alli says nothing about possible non-absorption of desireable oil-soluble vitamins A, D, and E. or if it interferes with omega 3 fish oils or flax oil. I’m reminded of a product touted in the 1950s that would keep your body from absorbing sodium so you could keep your blood pressure normal. The product was a synthetic resin. Capsules would be too big, so they advised mixing it with your mashed potatoes. It was unacceptable by the public so marketing ceased. People said why not just use less salt Similarly, becasue of the potentially embarrassing side effects, wouldn’t you rather just use 25% less fat?

By Sylvia Perez
www.uillinoismedcenter.org

Swimsuit weather will be here soon and that has some people scrambling to lose weight. Over-the-counter diet pills may be part of the strategy. Healthbeat reporter Sylvia Perez explains why that may not be a healthy idea.

The Federal Trade Commission recently fined the marketers of four weight loss pills $25 million for making false advertising claims. But, did you know that diet pills sold over the counter are classified as nutritional supplements and are not tested by the federal government for safety or effectiveness? Consumers are basically on their own with these diet aids and that has a lot of health experts worried.

The promises are so enticing, a bottle of pills, easy to buy, no prescription required and watch the pounds melt away. Dietary supplements are not just for the pin thin stars of Hollywood, but their image is certainly helping them sell.

"At first it worked it worked pretty well," said Erin, who does not want us to use her last name.

Erin says, years ago, she easily dropped 40 pounds using pills with ephedra. She was so excited with the way she looked, she developed a severe body image issue. But Erin says she is healthy now.

Others weren't as lucky. The FDA banned ephedra after dozens of cases linked it to heart and blood pressure problems some even resulting in death. Today there are other options and a lot of concerns.

"If any of my patients are taking it I tell them to stop immediately," said Dr. Reed Berger, UIC Nutrition and Wellness Center.

FDA New Diet Pill Success Depends On The Dieter Picking The Right Low Fat Diet

You'll be hearing all about Alli everywhere soon. This diet pill is going to be advertised heavily this year. Over 150 million dollars will be spent in just one year to promote this drug. That would buy quite a few celebrity endorsements. It's the first diet pill drug to be approved for sale over the counter, without needing a prescription.

It’s actually a pseudo-diet pill since its main function is to block absorption of 20-30% of the fat one consumes rather than decreasing the urge to eat. The fat passes out of the body is about 150 to 200 calories. Understanding this fact will determine the success of its usage by a dieter and whether the drug will fail being called the first fad diet pill in history.

If past history shows that controversy sells the most amounts of drugs, alli is getting it with pros and cons. On one end, critics restate the diet pill maker’s own admitted side effects found in clinical studies. While advocates of the much awaited pill feel anything that will help is needed as long as it’s free of severe side effects since the overweight problem in America is now an epidemic and out of control.

With alli one can lose 50 percent more weight than with a diet alone. Low fat diets on the market along with alli should give women 2-3 pounds loss per week and 4-5 pounds of weight loss for men, as long as the diet meets the low fat criteria of the new diet pill.