GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Alli (Photo : Reuters )
Alli diet pills are effective but it will only add a few pounds more than dieters would lose with exercise and diet alone, according to Mayo Clinic preventive medicine and nutrition specialist Donald D. Hensrud, M.D., Yuma News Now reported.
In 2014, a study revealed that Alli takers who dieted and exercised lost an average of 5.5 pounds or 2.5 kilograms more in one year than did those who dieted and exercised without taking the weight loss pill.
In general, 5 percent or more of body weight is sufficient for a clinically meaningful weight loss, which means the lost weight is enough to start decreasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other diseases.
In order to promote weight loss, Alli diet pills decrease the amount of dietary fat absorbed in the dieters' intestines.
Dieters who experience itching, yellow eyes or skin, light-colored stool, brown urine or loss of appetite after taking Alli diet pills are advised to consult their doctor immediately as these may indicate liver injury.
In 2014, complaints from 12 customers about 20 tampered bottles in seven states, which include Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, and Texas, prompted a recall of Alli diet pills, according to Alli maker GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman Deborah Bolding.
GlaxoSmithKline reported that Alli was also sold in Europe and no complaints had been reported there. In collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the company conducted a retailer-level recall affecting all retailers and pharmacies all over the United States and Puerto Rico, Reuters reported.
