Weight-loss pill is no magic bullet, doctors warn
By Sharon Salyer
The buzz has already started for a product that won't hit store shelves until this summer.
For the first time, a federally approved weight-loss product will be available over the counter, as easy to buy as a bottle of aspirin.
If taken at mealtime, the medication, called alli, promises to block about 25 percent of the fat in the food a person eats.
In a nation where federal health officials estimate 65 percent of adults are overweight or obese, the medication might seem the ultimate magic bullet in the battle of the bulge.
Yet some dietitians warn consumers to think twice before reaching for a seemingly easy solution to weight problems.
"It sounds sort of great that a percent of fat won't be absorbed," said Judy Simon, a registered dietitian for the University of Washington food and nutrition services.
"I'm afraid that someone might end up eating worse than before," she said, adding that she fears people would think: "I can eat a whole bag of potato chips."
"One of my concerns is that it doesn't teach healthy eating habits," said Deb McGrath-Zehm, a dietitian at Providence Everett Medical Center.
"It's too bad people are looking for the quicker fix instead of lifestyle changes," she said. "That's where you'll see most of the benefits."
Steve Burton, a vice president for the product's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, agreed that consumers want a magic pill for weight loss.
Responding to questions in an e-mail recently, he said that's why the product's Web site emphasizes gradual weight loss and encourages healthier eating habits.
"The responsible message that we should be sharing with consumers is that diet and exercise are the foundation for successful weight loss," he said.
No specific date has been set for when the product will be available. The pills are expected to cost $1 to $2 a day and would be taken up to three times a day.
The medication is a lower-dose version of the prescription drug Xenical, which has been available in the U.S. since 1999.
For every five pounds lost through diet and exercise, those using the prescription version of the weight-loss medication lost an additional two to three pounds, said Dr. Charles Ganley, director of nonprescription products for the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The agency approved over-the-counter sale of the lower-dose version of the pill on Feb. 7.
Current demand for the prescription version of the weight-loss medication has been low, according to several area pharmacists.
Although The Everett Clinic's pharmacies fill about 800 prescriptions a day, they haven't seen a prescription for the weight-loss pill in months, said Jennifer Wilson Norton, director of pharmacy services.
"Patients don't tend to stay on that medication because of its side effects," she said.
These can include bloating and what patients describe as oily diarrhea. "You get more of it if you overeat the fat," said McGrath-Zehm.
The problems are caused because the body isn't absorbing some of the fat in food, said Jennifer Beach, a clinical pharmacist at the University of Washington medical center.
"It's just passing through," she said. "That can lead to a fair amount of abdominal discomfort."
The cost of the pills, which could hit about $180 a month, could be barrier to some consumers, too, Beach said.
That's money that instead could be spent on healthy food or exercise equipment, McGrath-Zehm said.
She said she has known one patient who had good success with the prescription version of the medication. "Part of the reason he did is he learned to eat less fat and he exercised," she said.
There's one simple reason weight-loss medications get so much public attention, said Dr. Michael Tamber, an endocrinologist for The Everett Clinic. "In general, it is very difficult to lose weight.
"The variety of food and the ease with which that food is obtainable, that definitely contributes to an increase in caloric consumption over the course of a day," he said.
Part of the allure of the weight-loss pill is that it fulfills people's fantasy of a quick fix, said Simon, the UW clinical dietician.
"I work with a population of patients with eating disorders," she said. "I'm sure this will perk their interest.
"I don't think this pill has the magic answer," she said. "At the end of the day, it's a calorie balance and learning how to be a more mindful eater."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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