[podcast flashvars=”titles: ‘Alli'”]http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/wp-content/uploads/llvlcep61-alli.mp3[/podcast]
In a world gone mad, one man stands alone: Jimmy Moore wants YOU to know the truth about Alli–the new FDA-approved first over-the-counter weight loss pill that is like an overly-needy girlfriend who serves you ex-lax brownies.
Welcome to “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore!” In Episode 61 today, our host Jimmy explores why you just might not need a new drug that is already proven unsafe for people with any of a number of health conditions, demands you enter into a committed relationship for life to keep the weight off, is very expensive, and will virtually guarantee you’ll turn your tighty-whities into a rich shade of burnt umber.
What’s this drug in question? Alli, the OTC version of the prescription drug Xenical, aka orlistat. Be afraid, be very afraid. Remember, you don’t need to run out and buy a diamond ring and you don’t need to blame the dog for the effects of Alli–all you really need to do is keep on Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb!
LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 61
– Watch Alli television commercial
– FDA approves Alli for over-the-counter sales with a low-fat diet
– Public Citizen expresses concerns about Alli causing colon cancer
– Related blog post: “Hawking Alli All In The Desperate Name Of Weight Loss”
– Related blog post: “The Dirty Secret Of Diet Pills: They Require Low-Calorie Diet, Exercise To Work”
Did you miss anything Jimmy said? Fear not! We have a nearly complete transcript of today’s episode available. Please click the following link to read on…
Transcript of Episode 61:
This is Episode 61 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.” My name is Jimmy Moore and I invite you to get interactive with this podcast show by paying a visit to our official web site at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com. You can also e-mail me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I’d love to hear from you and read your comments posted at our web site about the show.
Have you heard the biggest news in the world of weight loss that happened this past week? Every news media outlet in the country was tripping all over themselves to tell you about the brand new miracle diet pill that’s gonna change your life forever. Maybe you’ve even heard the following commercial about it:
PLAY VIDEO: Alli
“You don’t just try Alli, you have to commit to it!” the ad says. And so this great over-the-counter version of the prescription drug Xenical, aka orlistat, has now morphed into yet another name that you need to know about–Alli. After only one day of deliberations on an 11-2 vote of recommendation, the Food & Drug Administration gave their approval to this drug made by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline months ago and now they are bragging about how this is “the only FDA-approved weight loss product available to consumers without a prescription.” Well, yippee freakin’ skippy!
The FDA said they were impressed by the results of their six-month study of orlistat where the obese study subjects lost about 5-6 more pounds than those participants who were given a placebo. However, the caveat about using this drug is the weight that will cease and weight gain will begin once someone stops using it. In other words, you’re stuck taking it for the rest of your life! Guess who makes out good on that deal?! Additionally, this wonder weight loss pill is supposed to be combined with good diet and exercise for effective use. What’s the point of doing that AND taking this drug?! Why not eat a nutritionally-sound, nutrient-dense diet to begin with (such as livin’ la vida low-carb) and forget about taking a pill. People really need to stop looking to the pharmaceutical industry to help them lose weight. There are no quick fixes. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there aren’t. And even with these drugs, you still have to limit your caloric intake and exercise. Does anybody ever tell you this dirty little secret about diet pills? Heck no, they’re trying to sell a drug! Plus, what are the potential dangers of this drug on the public? Have the side effects been thoroughly examined before plopping this possibly harmful drug in front of millions of desperate people? We live in a culture that is always looking for the “next big thing.” We need to stop looking for a drug to obliterate obesity and start doing what we know we need to do: Eat healthy (which in my opinion is the low-carb lifestyle), incorporate moderate exercise, take your vitamins, drink plenty of water, and get adequate sleep. This really isn’t rocket science people.
Are you someone who believes the answer to your weight problem can be found in a pill? If so, then please listen to me for a moment. That’s a big lie that is setting you up for disappointment. A weight loss pill will simply give you false hope that you can overcome your weight problem. Let’s face it, when you are fat you are desperate to do literally ANYTHING to change that. Am I right? Hey, I’ve been there and I know those feelings all too well. I’m not proud to admit I used to take Dexatrim and other over-the-counter weight loss drugs trying to get a handle on my weight. But none of those drugs changed my habits. That’s what is missing with all these drugs that are making headlines in the fight against obesity. Where is the LIFESTYLE CHANGE?! It is my firm belief that weight loss must first begin in the mind where a sincere desire to change must first take place. Then, a plan of action must be chosen to bring about that change. For me it was livin’ la vida low-carb, but it could be different for others. Weight loss is not “one-size-fits-all.” Finally, execution of that plan and sticking with it for the rest of your life will result in permanent weight control and vastly improved overall health. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It really is, despite the challenge. But the rewards of weight loss are too numerous to measure and you will never know how good it feels to be thin after a lifetime of being overweight and obese until you get there yourself.
So you may be wondering what about this Alli drug makes it so bad? If it can help people lose that much more weight, isn’t it worth adding to your healthy low-carb lifestyle? Let me just tell you right now, don’t even think about livin’ la vida low-carb while taking the 60 mg capsules of Alli right before each of your three daily meals because it only works well in people who eat little to no fat in their diet. Yep, not only do you get the unique pleasure of having most of the fat you put inside of your body sucked completely dry like a shallow river basin in 110 degree heat, but you also are FORCED to eat a low-fat diet in the process to make it work. Aren’t you just so very happy about that?! But wait, there’s more! In addition to not absorbing dietary fat (which can be dangerous on a number of levels that you don’t even want me to get into!), this drug may very well prevent you from absorbing some of the most essential nutrients in the foods you eat. Therefore, they recommend you take a multivitamin before you go nighty-night sucking your thumb while holding a fuzzy wuzzy teddy bear. Isn’t this just absolutely hilarious? While opponents of livin’ la vida low-carb always chastise us for promoting vitamin supplementation on our very natural and healthy way of eating, here’s the FDA telling people they need to eat a low-fat diet and take supplements if they decide to start using the Alli OTC weight loss pill. And this is supposed to be the WEAK version of the drug Xenical–can you imagine what the full-strength one is like? Like most drugs, Alli is not without some really nasty side effects. Try this on for size: loose stools, excess gas, fatty stools, possible uncontrollable bowel movements, flatulence with discharge, abdominal pain, and a general sense of poop-poopy-doop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, non-stop fun between you and the porcelain goddess! Aren’t you so glad you chose to lose weight this way? NOT!! Seriously, though, Alli is NOT for everyone (I personally don’t think it’s for ANYONE, but that’s just my take on it!). People who have had an organ transplant shouldn’t take it because of drug interactions and neither should people on blood thinners, who are diabetic, have a thyroid problem, a binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, or malabsorption syndromes. The FDA says people with these conditions should consult with their doctor before using this over-the-counter drug. Plus, a nonprofit group called Public Citizen says they have studies conducted on Alli that show it can cause pre-cancerous lesions in the colons of mice which could be fatal. Yikes! Um, maybe I’m thinking too hard about this, but why make a drug OTC if there are very real dangers to a large segment of the population with all those ailments I just named off? Has the FDA gone completely out of its minds here (don’t answer that question because we already know the answer)?! I’m telling you, this is a class action lawsuit just waiting to happen. The FDA has no idea what it has gotten itself into approving a drug like this one and making it available to anyone and everyone walking through the grocery store, Wal-mart, or drugstore. The end result will be more obesity and a lot more tummy aches.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again and again if I have to. People need to stop looking for the next great diet pill to come prancing in like Prince Charming to swoop them off their feet with promises of weight loss nirvana. Sorry to burst your fantasy everyone but it ain’t gonna happen…nor should it! Weight loss can be achieved safely and naturally without the use of ANY drugs whatsoever. Not once during my nearly 200-pound low-carb weight loss experience over these past few years have I felt compelled to add a drug, prescription or otherwise, to my diet for the purposes of aiding in my weight loss. NEVER! If I didn’t trust my low-carb lifestyle to do everything I needed it to in order for me to shed the pounds and restore my health, then I’d start looking for another way to eat. It should be quite disturbing to anyone who is eating a high-carb, low-fat, low-calorie diet right now that their diet all by itself just isn’t good enough to bring about weight loss and improved health. Nope, they have to have something like Alli added to their diet in order for their weight loss to work better (although the jury is still waaaaay out on that claim!). Why put yourself through all of that?!Come on over to livin’ la vida low-carb and enjoy what REAL healthy living is like. No drugs, no forced diet plans, no disgusting foods to put up with–just delicious foods that help produce amazing positive results in your weight and health. Why would you choose any other way?
That’s it for Episode 61 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.” Had you considered trying this new OTC Alli drug to go with your low-carb lifestyle? Please share your feedback at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com about why you felt you needed to take this weight loss pill along with your healthy low-carb diet. Hopefully you have been convinced that all you need to do is stick with low-carb living and you’ll do just fine. Join me again on Thursday for another exciting podcast interview with a bariatric doctor from my recent trip to the American Society of Bariatric Physicians obesity conference in Nashville, TN. We’ve only got two more to go, so keep on listening. That’s all for now, so until next time, keep on livin’ la vida low-carb!