Alli Weight Loss Pill Review: Benefits, Pros, Cons, and More

One of the first things that people want to know when they order a supplement online is whether it is approved by the FDA or not. However, most supplements are not FDA-approved since the authority does not regulate supplements. Therefore, you will not find many FDA-approved or regulated supplements in the market. But what if we tell you that there was once an over-the-counter pill that the FDA approved for weight loss? It was called Orlistat. Today, it is more commonly known as Alli Weight Loss Pill and has raved about in the weight loss industry more than we can explain.

Seeing the popularity of this pill and people making untrue claims about it, we decided to do our own research. That is how we have curated a review of this pill. Below, you will find all that you need to know about this pill and whether FDA approval means that it is good for your body. So, let’s get started.

What is Alli Weight Loss Pill?

Alli Weight Loss Pill or Orlistat is an over-the-counter pill that can be used against obesity since the FDA approved it in 1999. The pill was intended for weight management. However, it was not supposed to be used alone.

People taking Orlistat were instructed to use it with regular exercise and a low-fat diet. This Pill has Orlistat, which is a drug that acts as a lipase inhibitor. We will go into more detail about how lipase inhibitors work and what that explains about the working mechanism of this pill.

Before that, we have to explain that Alli Weight Loss Pill also has a prescription-only version that people can get if they have a prescription from their doctor. The pill is only prescribed to people who have a medical condition in which it is important to deal with obesity.

GlaxoSmithKline is the manufacturer of this Pill. It is a pharmaceutical company that creates pharmaceutical products, over-the-counter medicines, and vaccines. All these products are created for consumers who are conscious of their health.

But does that prove this pill to be effective? We all know about the pharmaceutical companies’ greed and that is why it is alright to be skeptical about a pill created by a company of this type. Let’s take a closer look at this pill and determine if it can really help you lose weight in the long run.

How Does Alli Weight Loss Pill Work?

The working of Alli Weight Loss Pill is based on its lipase inhibition property. First of all, you need to know what lipase is. It is actually an enzyme that breaks down fats and lets the body absorb them. As a result, you have fat deposition in your body which presents itself as obesity.

So, This Pill works by inhibiting this enzyme. As the pill inhibits the function of lipase, it prevents the absorption of lipids into the body. As a result of that, the fats do not deposit in the body, and obesity is kept at bay.

You might be wondering; what happens to the fat that we consume? Well, it is expelled from the body without going through the digestive process. As compared to other nutrients, such as proteins and carbs, fats have the highest calorie count. So, when they are excreted from the body, it helps in controlling obesity.

Think of it this way. A single gram of fat has more calories than double the same amount of carbs or proteins. So, when you lose fat, it helps you two-fold. Rest assured, Alli Weight Loss Pill takes a scientific approach to make you lose weight.

While most other supplements promise their weight-loss effectiveness through arbitrary mechanisms, This Pill actually has a scientific basis since it inhibits the enzyme involved in fat metabolism. However, it is important to understand that this is not the only thing that will help you in weight loss.

You also have to eat a low-calorie diet and couple it with exercise if you want to make the weight loss process effective and quick. This is where most people fall short. Instead of combining all these interventions together, they only use the pill and expect it to do all the work.

How Effective Is Alli Weight Loss Pill?

After checking the effectiveness of Alli Weight Loss Pill in different trials, experts found that it might be helpful in short-term weight loss but you cannot expect it to work for long-term weight loss. In fact, some research papers explained that people gain weight back when they stop using this pill.

A larger study that took place to explain the working of This Pill was in Sweden. This 2004 study had two groups of participants. The first group was given 130mg of this pill three times a day. On the other hand, the other group was only given a placebo.

Both groups were given 800 fewer calories than they used to eat and their dietary fat consumption was reduced to 30% of the total calorie intake.

In the first year of this study, the researchers saw that the group who was taking Orlistat lost 23.3 pounds on average. On the other hand, the group taking the placebo lost 13.6 pounds on average.

However, after three years of this study, the researchers saw that people had gained the weight back. The results were similar in both groups.

Judging from this study and some others that were conducted to determine the effectiveness of this pill, Alli Weight Loss Pill is good for short-term weight loss. Also, it can only bring a modest amount of weight loss in the body.

So, you should not expect it to create a drastic change in your body, especially not in the long run. For that, you will have to maintain your diet and make sure you stick to an exercise regimen.

Are There Side Effects of Alli Weight Loss Pill?

One thing that we need to make very clear is that just because something is approved by the FDA does not mean that it will not have side effects.

Therefore, when you take this pill, you should know about its side effects.

In fact, that is one of the many reasons people are not overly excited about using this pill. On the one hand, it does not work alone. On the other hand, it has a number of side effects that some people feel are not worth experiencing just to lose a few pounds of weight and that too over a year’s time.

Why Alli Weight Loss Pill caused side effects is very evident. As we have discussed above, the pill does not allow fat digestion or absorption in the body to prevent obesity.

As a result of that, undigested fat passes through the body and that is what wreaks havoc on your gastrointestinal system.

Here are some side effects of Alli Weight Loss Pill:

• Gas and bloating: Since this pill does not allow fat to be digested, it will cause bloating as the nutrients you are taking in are not getting digested. On top of that, you will experience gas too that will make things uncomfortable in the gastrointestinal system.
• Oily stools: One of the reasons for your stool being oily when you take this Pill is that fats will be excreted undigested through your feces. Fats have an oily consistency. In fact, many oils are rich in fats. Therefore, when your body is not digesting fats, they will be exerted in their rawest form through your stool and that is why the stool will be oily.
• Diarrhea: Digestion is an important bodily process that you should not alter or mess with. If that happens, you can experience diarrhea and other forms of gastric discomfort.
• Irregular menstrual periods: In women who take this Pill, their menstrual cycles may get irregular due to the presence of lipase inhibitors in the body.
• Anal oily discharge: We have already discussed above where this oil comes from. If you are having too much of a problem with the anal discharge, you should stop using Alli Weight Loss Pill.
• Rectal discomfort: Again, proper digestion is very important for your body. In its absence, you will experience rectal discomfort since the body’s natural mechanism has been disturbed due to the inhibition of lipase activity.

These are just some common side effects of Alli Weight Loss Pill. Apart from them, you might experience some serious side effects such as toxicity in the liver and kidney.

How to Use Alli Weight Loss Pill?

Since it is not like all other supplements you see in the market, it is important to properly understand how to use this pill. Experts suggest that you should only use this pill if you have a BMI of 25, at least.

Also, you should use Alli Weight Loss Pill if you can commit to exercising and following a healthy lifestyle. You should also not eat more than 30% of fat in your daily diet if you want this pill to have any kind of effect on your body.

Additionally, keep in mind that when you use Orlistat, it alters the absorption of the following vitamins in your body; A, D, E, and K. These vitamins are called fat-absorbent vitamins since they need fats for absorption.

So, when the body does not absorb fat, it cannot absorb these vitamins either as fats are not present to absorb them. The FDA suggests that you should take multivitamins when you are using these Pills. Make sure you talk to your doctor beforehand so that you are not met with any surprises later.

Comparison to Alternatives

Now, let us take a look at how Alli Weight Loss Pill compares to alternatives since there are not many other pills like this in the market. Nowadays, there are a handful of supplements that actually work and they are all available without a prescription, which is why they are so popular among users.

Another weight loss supplement of this type includes Glucomannan, which absorbs water in the gut, taking up a place in the stomach. As a result, it promotes a feeling of being ‘full’ and leads to you eating less food since your body already feels full.

As compared to Alli Weight Loss Pill, other supplements do not have the superiority of being approved by the FDA. Also, almost all of them are available without a prescription, which is another plus point.

Bottom Line: Is Alli Weight Loss Pill the One?

At the end of the day, it is imperative to keep in mind that no pill will be your magic cure. Rather, you would have to exercise and follow a healthy lifestyle if you want to experience weight loss.

Yes, you can use Alli Weight Loss Pill to facilitate the process but that is about it. It is easily available at your nearest retailer so there is no difficulty in finding it. However, if you are concerned about the side effects, it is best to speak to your healthcare provider.

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