Diet pills for all?

One of the big health stories of the last few days has been the news that the diet pill Orlistat (also known as Xenical) will be available without prescription in the UK.

The over-the-the counter Alli pill is a lower-dose version of the medication Orlistat or Xenical, which is used to stop fat absorption in the gut. The result of this can be a reduction in the patient's weight, but...there can be problems.

Just like other techniques such as stomach banding which aim to allow a patient to lose weight, this new pill does not reduce the underlying psychological reason why a person may overeat.

As a consequence the use of the pill must be coupled with a change in diet. Continuing to eat a high fat diet whilst taking the pill is likely to lead to oily, diarrhoea-like stools that may leak. This occurs because orlistat blocks some dietary fat in the digestive system from being absorbed, which exits the body unchanged in the faeces. Other problems can include wind and frequent or urgent bowel movements and abdominal bloating.

Not nice at all!

Users report that it can be a good way to start a major weight loss campaign but to be successful the underlying issues must be addressed and changes in diet and exercise must be included.

Anyone tempted to take this path would do well to make use my "Slimmer You" MP3 download to deal with the psychological drivers that cause overeating in the first place.

Weight loss is a huge industry and the Alli pill will no doubt sell well, even though for many people, it will be less successful than it could be because of the failure to deal with the underlying emotional drivers that prompt people to eat inappropriately.