Many sources report on the exciting news that the FDA has approved the very first over-the-counter weight loss drug:
Experts expect the drug, Alli, to be available to consumers in the summer.
Although the medication has been available by prescription since 1999, some experts predict that it will be more widely used as an over-the-counter product. It will be the lone government-approved alternative to unproven over-the-counter remedies.
An obesity specialist in Washington, Dr. Arthur Frank, said Alli had a safe track record and could help patients lose 5 percent to 10 percent of their weight.
Of course, as with all good things in this life, there's a catch:
On the negative side, Alli can cause side effects like diarrhea and oily stools.
Which is not that big a deal to the oily stool crowd, but what about the rest of you? Will this drug have you chomping at the bit? Part of the reason the drug works, apparently, is that when you eat fatty foods while on the drug, it makes your intestines very unhappy - a
Clockwork Orange bit of aversion therapy. On the flip side, losing ten percent of your weight is quite a carrot.
What's the word, DoseNation? Is this pill for you?
