Big Bad Alli Will Court You, But Don’t Fall For It! (Episode 61)
18 06 2007If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
What are the side effects of the obesity drug Alli?
In a world gone mad, one man stands alone: Jimmy Moore wants YOU to know the truth about Alli–the new FDA-approved first over-the-counter weight loss pill that is like an overly-needy girlfriend who serves you ex-lax brownies.
Welcome to “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore!” In Episode 61 today, our host Jimmy explores why you just might not need a new drug that is already proven unsafe for people with any of a number of health conditions, demands you enter into a committed relationship for life to keep the weight off, is very expensive, and will virtually guarantee you’ll turn your tighty-whities into a rich shade of burnt umber.
What’s this drug in question? Alli, the OTC version of the prescription drug Xenical, aka orlistat. Be afraid, be very afraid. Remember, you don’t need to run out and buy a diamond ring and you don’t need to blame the dog for the effects of Alli–all you really need to do is keep on Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb! 
LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 61
- Watch Alli television commercial
- FDA approves Alli for over-the-counter sales with a low-fat diet
- Public Citizen expresses concerns about Alli causing colon cancer
- Related blog post: “Hawking Alli All In The Desperate Name Of Weight Loss”
- Related blog post: “The Dirty Secret Of Diet Pills: They Require Low-Calorie Diet, Exercise To Work”
Did you miss anything Jimmy said? Fear not! We have a nearly complete transcript of today’s episode available. Please click the following link to read on…
Transcript of Episode 61:
This is Episode 61 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.” My name is Jimmy Moore and I invite you to get interactive with this podcast show by paying a visit to our official web site at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com. You can also e-mail me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I’d love to hear from you and read your comments posted at our web site about the show.
Have you heard the biggest news in the world of weight loss that happened this past week? Every news media outlet in the country was tripping all over themselves to tell you about the brand new miracle diet pill that’s gonna change your life forever. Maybe you’ve even heard the following commercial about it:
PLAY VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj-g0cKCnBA
“You don’t just try Alli, you have to commit to it!” the ad says. And so this great over-the-counter version of the prescription drug Xenical, aka orlistat, has now morphed into yet another name that you need to know about–Alli. After only one day of deliberations on an 11-2 vote of recommendation, the Food & Drug Administration gave their approval to this drug made by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline months ago and now they are bragging about how this is “the only FDA-approved weight loss product available to consumers without a prescription.” Well, yippee freakin’ skippy!
The FDA said they were impressed by the results of their six-month study of orlistat where the obese study subjects lost about 5-6 more pounds than those participants who were given a placebo. However, the caveat about using this drug is the weight that will cease and weight gain will begin once someone stops using it. In other words, you’re stuck taking it for the rest of your life! Guess who makes out good on that deal?! Additionally, this wonder weight loss pill is supposed to be combined with good diet and exercise for effective use. What’s the point of doing that AND taking this drug?! Why not eat a nutritionally-sound, nutrient-dense diet to begin with (such as livin’ la vida low-carb) and forget about taking a pill. People really need to stop looking to the pharmaceutical industry to help them lose weight. There are no quick fixes. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there aren’t. And even with these drugs, you still have to limit your caloric intake and exercise. Does anybody ever tell you this dirty little secret about diet pills? Heck no, they’re trying to sell a drug! Plus, what are the potential dangers of this drug on the public? Have the side effects been thoroughly examined before plopping this possibly harmful drug in front of millions of desperate people? We live in a culture that is always looking for the “next big thing.” We need to stop looking for a drug to obliterate obesity and start doing what we know we need to do: Eat healthy (which in my opinion is the low-carb lifestyle), incorporate moderate exercise, take your vitamins, drink plenty of water, and get adequate sleep. This really isn’t rocket science people.
Are you someone who believes the answer to your weight problem can be found in a pill? If so, then please listen to me for a moment. That’s a big lie that is setting you up for disappointment. A weight loss pill will simply give you false hope that you can overcome your weight problem. Let’s face it, when you are fat you are desperate to do literally ANYTHING to change that. Am I right? Hey, I’ve been there and I know those feelings all too well. I’m not proud to admit I used to take Dexatrim and other over-the-counter weight loss drugs trying to get a handle on my weight. But none of those drugs changed my habits. That’s what is missing with all these drugs that are making headlines in the fight against obesity. Where is the LIFESTYLE CHANGE?! It is my firm belief that weight loss must first begin in the mind where a sincere desire to change must first take place. Then, a plan of action must be chosen to bring about that change. For me it was livin’ la vida low-carb, but it could be different for others. Weight loss is not “one-size-fits-all.” Finally, execution of that plan and sticking with it for the rest of your life will result in permanent weight control and vastly improved overall health. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It really is, despite the challenge. But the rewards of weight loss are too numerous to measure and you will never know how good it feels to be thin after a lifetime of being overweight and obese until you get there yourself.
So you may be wondering what about this Alli drug makes it so bad? If it can help people lose that much more weight, isn’t it worth adding to your healthy low-carb lifestyle? Let me just tell you right now, don’t even think about livin’ la vida low-carb while taking the 60 mg capsules of Alli right before each of your three daily meals because it only works well in people who eat little to no fat in their diet. Yep, not only do you get the unique pleasure of having most of the fat you put inside of your body sucked completely dry like a shallow river basin in 110 degree heat, but you also are FORCED to eat a low-fat diet in the process to make it work. Aren’t you just so very happy about that?! But wait, there’s more! In addition to not absorbing dietary fat (which can be dangerous on a number of levels that you don’t even want me to get into!), this drug may very well prevent you from absorbing some of the most essential nutrients in the foods you eat. Therefore, they recommend you take a multivitamin before you go nighty-night sucking your thumb while holding a fuzzy wuzzy teddy bear. Isn’t this just absolutely hilarious? While opponents of livin’ la vida low-carb always chastise us for promoting vitamin supplementation on our very natural and healthy way of eating, here’s the FDA telling people they need to eat a low-fat diet and take supplements if they decide to start using the Alli OTC weight loss pill. And this is supposed to be the WEAK version of the drug Xenical–can you imagine what the full-strength one is like? Like most drugs, Alli is not without some really nasty side effects. Try this on for size: loose stools, excess gas, fatty stools, possible uncontrollable bowel movements, flatulence with discharge, abdominal pain, and a general sense of poop-poopy-doop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, non-stop fun between you and the porcelain goddess! Aren’t you so glad you chose to lose weight this way? NOT!! Seriously, though, Alli is NOT for everyone (I personally don’t think it’s for ANYONE, but that’s just my take on it!). People who have had an organ transplant shouldn’t take it because of drug interactions and neither should people on blood thinners, who are diabetic, have a thyroid problem, a binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, or malabsorption syndromes. The FDA says people with these conditions should consult with their doctor before using this over-the-counter drug. Plus, a nonprofit group called Public Citizen says they have studies conducted on Alli that show it can cause pre-cancerous lesions in the colons of mice which could be fatal. Yikes! Um, maybe I’m thinking too hard about this, but why make a drug OTC if there are very real dangers to a large segment of the population with all those ailments I just named off? Has the FDA gone completely out of its minds here (don’t answer that question because we already know the answer)?! I’m telling you, this is a class action lawsuit just waiting to happen. The FDA has no idea what it has gotten itself into approving a drug like this one and making it available to anyone and everyone walking through the grocery store, Wal-mart, or drugstore. The end result will be more obesity and a lot more tummy aches.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again and again if I have to. People need to stop looking for the next great diet pill to come prancing in like Prince Charming to swoop them off their feet with promises of weight loss nirvana. Sorry to burst your fantasy everyone but it ain’t gonna happen…nor should it! Weight loss can be achieved safely and naturally without the use of ANY drugs whatsoever. Not once during my nearly 200-pound low-carb weight loss experience over these past few years have I felt compelled to add a drug, prescription or otherwise, to my diet for the purposes of aiding in my weight loss. NEVER! If I didn’t trust my low-carb lifestyle to do everything I needed it to in order for me to shed the pounds and restore my health, then I’d start looking for another way to eat. It should be quite disturbing to anyone who is eating a high-carb, low-fat, low-calorie diet right now that their diet all by itself just isn’t good enough to bring about weight loss and improved health. Nope, they have to have something like Alli added to their diet in order for their weight loss to work better (although the jury is still waaaaay out on that claim!). Why put yourself through all of that?!Come on over to livin’ la vida low-carb and enjoy what REAL healthy living is like. No drugs, no forced diet plans, no disgusting foods to put up with–just delicious foods that help produce amazing positive results in your weight and health. Why would you choose any other way?
That’s it for Episode 61 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.” Had you considered trying this new OTC Alli drug to go with your low-carb lifestyle? Please share your feedback at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com about why you felt you needed to take this weight loss pill along with your healthy low-carb diet. Hopefully you have been convinced that all you need to do is stick with low-carb living and you’ll do just fine. Join me again on Thursday for another exciting podcast interview with a bariatric doctor from my recent trip to the American Society of Bariatric Physicians obesity conference in Nashville, TN. We’ve only got two more to go, so keep on listening. That’s all for now, so until next time, keep on livin’ la vida low-carb!
From over 400 pounds to 230, Jimmy Moore is 
[…] Original post by livinlowcarbman@charter.net (Jimmy Moore / GNMHealth.com) and software by Elliott Back […]
Loved the sound effects. Just what you’d be hearing if you take Alli. I’ll take Livin’ La Vida Low Carb any day.
Yeah, my producer had WAY TOO MUCH FUN with this podcast show. I’m with you, Dan! Paraphrasing Patrick Henry’s famous quote, “Give me low-carb or give me death!”
For the record, there are 37 unique sound effects in this episode. None created by me!
-Mr. Producer Guy
It’s your finest production yet, Kevin! LOL! This one will go down in the ANAL of podcast history as the most creative podcast we’ve done.
Let me start by saying that you have A LOT of great information and good reading on your site, I really enjoy it.
I am in no way associated with any program, pill, or company so this is just a average joe opinion here.
I just read your transcript from the program you did and it reads rather alarmist on one hand and used car salesman on the other. I got the sense of you pushing your way as the best & only way. When you say you are stuck taking it for the rest of your life, I sort of got a confused look. From what i’ve read re this pill, it is not meant to be taken alone, but in conjunction with a healthier eating style. Ya you get the runs, and poo issues if you have to much fat in your diet, if its really bad just stop taking the pill. I have not taken it, I thought about it as an additional way to take off a few pounds faster in conjunction with my low carb, low to med fat intake. If the runs are the worst of it I think some people would welcome the extra weight loss. As for being on it for a lifetime, that does not even make sense. If you get your weight down to a level where you can excercise, and you continue to eat healthy, why keep taking it? Get to your ideal weight and maintain it. As for taking a multivitamin, how can that hurt ya? The key is to not rely on vitamins, diet pills, diets, or anything like that. Eat healthy and you won’t need them. If a pill helps you along the way and doesn’t hurt you, go for it.
Alli is just another weight loss gimmick aimed at gullible people who want a quick fix to their problem!
THANKS, LJM, but I respectfully disagree with you. There was nothing “alarmist” about my podcast (you REALLY need to listen to it, not just read the transcript!) except that which was found on the web site for both Alli and the FDA which approved the drug to be sold over-the-counter.
If you listen to virtually ANY of my previous podcasts, then you would know how ignorant your “I got the sense of you pushing your way as the best & only way” comment really is because I am all for people finding what works for them, following that plan exactly as prescribed, and then doing it for the rest of their life.
Livin’ la vida low-carb has been that for me and I realize it may not be for everyone. But this Alli is something tee-totally different because we’re not talking about a natural supplement to aid in weight loss. Instead, what we have is a truly dangerous drug that has not just gaseous side effects, but also the risk of COLON CANCER!!! Why even risk taking something like that just to lose only a few extra pounds.
I don’t say you’re stuck taking it for the rest of your life, that’s EXACTLY what the Alli commercial says when the announcer says, “You don’t just take Alli, you commit to it.” What do you think that means, LJM? Did you hear when I quoted from the FDA when they said if you ever get off the Alli pill, you will GAIN your weight back? Again, this is NOT me saying this, but the freakin’ group that approved this thing!
As for this “healthier eating style” crap, a high-carb, low-fat diet does NOT fit that description. When you lower the carbs, the fat is naturally going to increase as a percentage, so this Alli will become that much more harmful to people who are livin’ la vida low-carb. There’s just no wiggling out of this inevitable fate.
Face it, LJM, people are gonna still eat their high-carb and high-fat meals and will take this Alli OTC drug to ease their conscious about it. Boy, will THEY be in for a rude awakening!
I don’t know why people would put themselves through the torture of the side effects that Alli has just to lose a couple more pounds. Why not just work the low-carb plan you are on exactly as the author prescribes and the weight loss can and will happen as quickly as it needs to.
Don’t forget, I lost 180 pounds in 2004 without the use of any drugs or anything other than my all-natural, healthy low-carb Atkins diet. Alli would have been a disaster for me and I very likely would have given up from all the discouraging gas and “accidents.”
Finally, I cannot agree with you lumping vitamins in with something truly unhealthy like diet pills such as Alli. Vitamins are truly an important part of a healthy lifestyle and I have taken them daily for over three years. They are the lifeblood of ANY healthy living strategy and it is ignorant to think otherwise. They are completely safe, too!
While I appreciate your feedback, LJM, you could not be more off base if you tried. Again, you REALLY need to listen to this podcast show so you can hear how the information was presented and then check out past episodes so you won’t be as ignorant about my philosophy the next time you decide to mindlessly rant on a topic you obviously are clueless about.
Take care!
Well stated, Linda!
I just wanted to say that I am curently taking the Alli pill and have not had any “accidents” and I have not had uncontrollable pooping. I did have the oily poop and to me that is just telling me its working, when I can see the fat and oil in the toilet. Also they are not called side affects they are called treatment affects because they are not harmfull.
Well, if I ate my normal low-carb Atkins diet like I did in 2004 during my weight loss and decided to take Alli, Stephanie, then those “treatment effects” would have been quite severe I can assure you of that. But I do appreciate your perspective and wish you well on your high-carb, low-fat, Alli diet!
I just caught this tidbit from the manufacturer’s website:
“You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it’s probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work.”
Just to be clear - “Treatment effect” is pure spin, euphemism, weasel words etc. A “Treatment effect” should be something you INTEND the medicine to do. Fouling your trousers is only an intentional act of a small and very perverse minority of adults!
HA, that’s great, Kevin! :p
Hi Jimmy.
I just wanted to point out that Dr. Eades suggested a good use for Alli. In his March 19th post, he describes how to use it for detox. I recently had all my mercury fillings removed removed and was thinking of using it to mop up any remnants. He also gives a way to detox with green tea and calcium which sounds a lot safer and more pleasant.
Thanks for all the good info. I read your blog every day!
Judy Barnes Baker
“Carb Wars; Sugar is the New Fat”
THANKS, Judy! I’m LOVIN’ your book…can’t wait for the sequel!
I started listening to the show but 5 minutes in I had to stop and just read the transcript. Couldn’t stand the incredibly annoying sound effects.
Enjoyed it other then that.
THANKS for the feedback, Grant! I gave my producer full license to have fun with it and he certainly did. Sorry it was “annoying,” but it got the point across, don’t ya think?!
Keep listening and no more sound effects like that!
I think that no there is no miracle pill that will make you lose weight and your going to have to work at it. i also feel that any diet that makes you eat too much of one thing and little of another is just as harnful to your body. Atkins is a horrible diet. I tried it. I lost some weight and I missed the carbs and fell off the wagon eventually. And all that Fat made my bloodwork horrendous considering I NEVER had and issues before. I am young and have had a weight issue most of my life I have lost alot of weight just eating healthy BALANCED with some carbs, low fat, watched my calories and ate my fruits and veggies and that diet is much like Weightwatchers which allows you to do that. I was able to get into a healthy weight range. I also know that is very difficult to maintain and I have fluctuated many times but usually bounce back to where I want to be. I think that for someone who has a hard time with temptations. (like myself) I love to eat. Just knowing the treatment affects and that I need to eat better not to see them, is the motivation I would need not to fall off track. I would take alli if I needed to lose a decent amount of weight and wanted to use it for a short period of time to help get over the cravings. Once you get past wanting to eat certain items and get into a healthy routine and excercise you shouldn’t need it. But if you can use the drug to assist you in AVOIDING the bad stuff then thats not so bad. So i’m just saying no you shouldn’t rely on Alli to do the work, the treatment affects are side affects if you think you can just each whatever you like and think the drug will take care of the rest, everyone needs to work on eating right and I think its a good idea to use it for a start up maybe a month or two but not forever.
I respectfully disagree with you, Lauren (especially with your description of Atkins as a “horrible diet”–I’ve lost 180 pounds and kept it off on that there diet!), but I appreciate your comments.
i bought alli today…..im returning it asap!! thanks
GOOD, Lyana!
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As an immunologist and researcher, I think it would be a good idea to explain to people what was actually shown by the colon cancer article that examined orlistat (the active ingredient in Alli). Only about 0.1% of the population actually pays attention to tidbits like this, but as a scientist, this is the first thing that jumps out at me from the abstract of this paper: rats were treated with 200mg/kg per day! Do you realize how much that is? Alli is dosed at 60mg TOTAL for a human. A 200lb human would have to take over 18000 mg a day to equal the same amount!! I’m sure no one in the media did the math behind that! Similarly, you can take into account which journal this was published in. Had it been of real in vivo human relevance, it would have been in a much better journal. The only value of studies like this one and others (including many of those that I myself conduct) is to see what the extremes are and to explore unexpected pathways. Please keep this in mind whenever you try to extrapolate from animal studies to human studies.
I am just looking for anyone who has tried the low carb Atkins or med carb South Beach Diet with the addition of Alli or Xenical…I suppose everyone’s “treatment effects” may be different…I have done Atkins and dropped 35lbs in about 3 months before…But now I am back up and need to lose 60 lbs and keep it off this time…I am very curios about using the drug with a medium fat low carb diet- it seams like it would give an additional “boost” if the “treatment effects” are tolerable…When I am on low-carb I clog up really bad…I have always had to pump the fiber and then struggle…So a little grease in the system may be just the trick to lubricate the pipes and allow smooth sailing…I have not started my low-carb program yet but I did a little test this weekend with the full strength Xenical to see how my body would handle it…I loaded up on a 3 egg cheese omelet, slab of ham, 3 stack of pancakes smeared with butter, and a few bites of bacon…Know wonder I need to lose 60 lbs now- the way I eat sometimes…After it was all over I took the full strength Xenical. That was Sundays Brunch…For Dinner I had Tri-tip BBQ, rounded out with a piece of apple pie! I figured maybe I better take another full strength Xenical so I did. Okay 2 Xenical and a couple of blow out meals! The next day on Monday morning I ate brown rice chips and Mexican cheese for some nachos in the morning…at lunch I had 2 pieces of pepperoni and sausage pizza. Granted none of this is low-carb yet but it is certainly full of fat! I did not take any Xenical on Monday…How severe were the “treatment effects”? Not bad at all! Yes of course the stuff is working like a champ! I am blowing plenty of oil out my ass! I would not rip a fart here at work but I have ripped plenty of dry farts at home! For me I can feel a wet one coming and make it to the toilet without any problems…It is really exciting to see all the oil blowing out your own ass rather than filling those fat cells inside your body! So I think it will be possible to take the Xenical or Alli with a medium fat low carb diet. Of course I don’t think it will work for everyone but with my clogged system I think it will work just fine…I think the trick here is to go ahead and enjoy smaller portions of fat foods on the low carb diet so you feel full quickly and don’t overdo the Alli. That way the fat will satisfy your hunger and the Xenical or Alli will flush it from your system allowing you to burn more fat from your body during your exercise programs. Of course taking Alli is not a license to eat more- in fact it is just the opposite. Just think of it as getting a little extra help and don’t abuse it or you may wind up painting your pants and the walls a nasty brown color…So I will go ahead and try it on my low-carb experiment! Maybe if I can really push the exercise part of the equation I will be able to lose all 60 lbs in just over 3 months! I really like the idea of Ketosis since it is like you’re just pissing the fat away…now I will be shitting the fat away too! If anyone has any experience with this test please post your results…
Great pick…. heehaw
I have been taking Alli for about 3 weeks now and I have had no side/treatment effects. With the Alli program you are given guidelines such as how many calories per day you can eat and how many fat grams per meal you can eat, just like any other diet.You also can not eat anything that has more than 30% fat. I have been following these guidlines therefore having no reason to change my pants or run to the bathroom.
HI I have been taking Alli for ten days now. I have yet to have any side effects. I find the diet plan helpful and healthy. I was on Atkins diet plan three years ago. I lost a considerable amount of weight (35lbs) but the regime was impossible to stay on longer than 6-8 months. Many of my friends were also on the diet and they too have gone off the Atkins program, only to gain the weight right back. I also feel I lost a great deal of muscle mass with Atkins. My trainer at the gym agreed that Atkins was the cause. I want to have a lifestyle eating plan that allows me a greater choice in foods. Low-fat Low cal fits the bill. Need I mention my cholesteral went up about 50 points while on Atkins! Never again…LOW Carb is a fad diet in which it is nearly impossible to maintain and when you reintroduce a normal amount of carbs back into your diet BAM the weight loss stops and you get discouraged and begin to go back to all the bad habits. My humble advice—Eat less Exercise more!! I will continue with the Alli till I get grounded with low-fat low cal. It has helped already.
I’m glad it works for you, but eventually you’re gonna need to come off the drug. Best wishes to you!
ok first let me start by saying im not here to knock anybody and their opinions about alli….. this comes from personal experience… last july I weighed 260 pounds. today I weigh 180. no this is not alli’s work but it did put in work…. I read those instructions throughly and after making a couple mistakes I quickly learned my lesson…..Alli works with you not for u…so if u are eating hamburgers everyday than yes u are going to have those dreadful treatment affects…. you control ur destiny not alli… its really simple follow the rules and u will see results …. IM HAPPY I BROUGHT ALLI. wouldn’t change it for the world… its kind of like a discipline thing…. “if I eat that than I know whagt its going to do to me” play ur cards right that’s all… at least that’s what I learned. if I eat a meal with 15 g of fat than im not taken in any fat it just passes threw the body and my bowel movements r regular if I eat more than I know what im up against..im losing fat but more than expect and the alli has to process all of that extra fat. THINK ABOUT IT