According to C.W. Randolph, Jr., M.D., R.Ph. “If you think that the idea of popping a pill to lose weight it too good to be true, you are right. As a physician who has helped my patients lose unwanted weight naturally for more than a decade, I have grave concerns regarding the burgeoning popularity of the diet pill, Alli. There are very significant health risks associated with the use of this product. There is also an ‘ick factor’ that consumers and healthcare professionals need to be made aware of.”

On October 23 rd GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare announced that it has sold more than 2 million Alli diet pill starter packs at retail. Launched nationwide on June 15, Alli is the only FDA-approved weight-loss product available to overweight adults without a prescription. The Alli capsule works by blocking the absorption of about 25 percent of the fat in the foods people eat, supposedly helping people who take it lose 50 percent more weight than they would through diet and exercise alone.

“My guess is that GlaxoSmithKline has not informed any of those 2 million users that there have been medical studies linking Alli to precancerous lesions in rats,” says Dr. Randolph. “Will consumers and medical professionals have to wait until another Fen-Phen or Viox debacle before they are made aware of the health risks of this product?”

“Also,” continues Dr. Randolph, “there are other medical risks. Because Alli works by blocking a portion of fat consumed in your diet, it also causes the loss of fat soluble vitamins A, E, and D. And then there is the ‘ick factor’. The side effect of ‘oily diarrhea’ is downplayed by Alli’s manufacturer. Patients who tried Alli have told me that ‘the side effects were disgusting.’ Many said that they frequently soiled their pants and had to resort to wearing adult diapers. One patient on Alli told me that she ruined a friend’s newly upholstered dining room chair during a dinner party.”

“Despite the marketing hype around Alli, there is no magic pill for losing weight,” concludes Dr. Randolph. “If you are overweight and want to get rid of those extra pounds for good you have to realize that long-term weight loss is a process not a landing. In my practice, I help my patients lose weight naturally via a combination of bio-identical hormone replacement (BHRT) to restore optimal hormone balance which helps catalyze weight loss and keep those pound off for good, but even BHRT is not enough in and of itself. I also provide my patients with a balanced nutritional program including a 30 day menu with recipes as well as recommendations regarding exercise, stress management and healthy lifestyle choices.”

Best wishes,

C.W. Randolph, Jr., M.D., R.Ph.

Dr. Randolph is a practicing gynecologist and an internationally recognized expert in the field of in bio-identical hormone replacement. He is also the author of From Hormone Hell to Hormone Well as well as From Belly Fat to Belly Flat (to be released in January ’08).

* Please Note: Because legally we are unable to provide prescriptions for telephone consultation patients unless they have been previously seen in my office, should you require a prescription for a more comprehensive panel of bio-identical hormone replacement, my nurse practitioner will advise you how to locate a physician and compounding pharmacy in your area.