Anyone who’s looked around the weight loss section of a drugstore or watched the ads on TV knows that some products promise to help you lose weight quickly and easily. The problem is that little, if any, evidence supports these claims – and some of them are outrageous.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, more Americans are victimized by weight loss fraud than any other activity they survey. Make no mistake about it. The FTC and the FDA work hard to address this problem, but more products keep flooding into the market, making unsupported claims.

I believe this situation needs to change. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to consumers and experts on weight and health who want to see it change, too. 

Perhaps you’ve heard that GSK recently joined three organizations in petitioning the FDA to change how it regulates dietary supplements for weight loss. The three organizations are the American Dietetic Association, The Obesity Society and Shaping America’s Health.

What does GSK get out of this?
There are those who have speculated that this is some kind of anti-competitive effort by us. 

Let’s be clear. There will always be competition for alli.  People have plenty of options for sound, proven approaches to lose weight. This petition is about setting a solid standard of proof for products that claim to help overweight people lose weight.

Consumers will benefit because they will be able to choose among weight loss products that are proven to work. 

When unproven products promise quick and easy weight loss, everyone suffers. All the hype makes it harder for people to find real help to lose weight and improve their health. It creates an environment where people start to doubt even modest, truthful claims. The entire weight loss category, benefits by reducing this doubt.

Colleen Laing, a blogger writing for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes that she picked up a copy of are you losing it? while waiting in line for a prescription.

Her biggest takeaway came from a quote on page 10 by Gary Foster, Ph.D., director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University. "Weight loss is about self care. It is about taking time for self care. It is about changing your attitude, your behavior and your lifestyle," says Dr. Foster. 

And, he weighs in on how to accomplish this: "Don't make time for yourself - take it! ... you are worth taking care of." As Colleen puts it:

Remember in the airplane when the flight attendant says "put your oxygen mask on first, then your child's." That's the idea here -- if you're not taking care of yourself, how can you take care of others? Burnout is on the horizon, temporarily staved-off by a few donuts, a couple frappuchinos [sic], a brownie here, a cookie there.

- Colleen Laing for the Seattle Post Intelligencer

As the book says, the big question isn't whether a weight loss program can change your life, but can YOU?

Back in June I wrote about the alli first team, the first 400 or so consumers who tried alli. A few of the first team members who appeared in the news, most notably Caryn Eyring, who was featured in People Magazine on July 9, 2007. She told People she'd had only one "alli oops" episode and that alli was forcing her to "eat healthier." (This is a repeated theme, BTW, from alli users.) 

Now you can see Laura, a real alli user (i.e. not a professional actress although she has great stage presence) on TV in a new :30 second spot. It's posted to alli's YouTube channel. For updates from other alli users (including John and Laurie) visit real alli stories on myalli.com. Oh, and you can submit your own alli story here, and chances are, you'll see it on myalli.com.

alli has sold over 2 million starter packages to date (and adding tens of thousands every week). That's a lot of people learning how to eat better (fewer calories in) and get more active (more calories burned).

As Margaret Meade said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." 

I'm following anecdotally (I can't read everything) what the hundreds of thousands of people who started using alli in June have to say about this new and unique combination of a fat blocker and food education program. To date, over 100,000 messages have been left on the official alli message board. Over 5 million unique visitors have visited the product Web site, myalli.com.

In addition, tens of thousands of users are talking to each other about alli in blogs and online discussion groups they've formed themselves. One of the biggest is alli allies on Weight Watchers. See our new blogrolls in the right-hand column for more links to online communities.

Can these two million alli users change the way Americans define meaningful weight loss and how best to go about it? Can a committed group of Americans combat weight loss myths? Is it a revolution yet??

P.S. The screen grab above is from our public service Web site questioneverything.com (short for "question everything about weight loss"), which started the ball rolling before alli launched by providing food education and provocative discussions about weight loss myths.

If you have a question about the alli program, let me know.

N.B. See this new GSK study reporting on product satisfaction from controlled clinical trials.

It's a legitimate question. Is alli really needed? If eating low-fat (and fewer calories) and exercising more is the best route to weight loss, then why, really, do you need a pill like alli to help you along?

I'm hearing this question asked in numerous ways, both online and off. I heard it asked in a focus group last week. A doctor blogs about it here.

Here's my answer: If you're going to make a serious, extended effort to cut calories and fat, and to get more physically active, then WHY WOULDN'T YOU add alli? To put it another way, why wouldn't you go for a 50% better return on your weight loss effort?

If you're buying 10 gallons of gasoline, would you turn down a free coupon for an extra five gallons?

If you think about how alli works (it blocks about 25% of the fat in your meal, helping you lose 50% more weight), then not taking alli is like turning down a coupon for five extra gallons when you're already paying for ten gallons of gasoline. Or turning down the 50% more free toothpaste in that bonus tube. Obviously, using alli is not as simple as brushing your teeth or buying gasoline. You have to read the label to make sure alli is right for you. But, the point is still the same. In simplest medical terms, alli helps enhance the calorie deficit that is necessary to lose weight. 

I can tell you that I appreciated the extra help when I used orlistat (the active ingredient in alli) to lose 60 pounds over three years (I've kept it off).

By the way, here's a useful resource on Revolution Health that intelligently offers pros and cons about using alli. And not to sound like a commercial but I have to say it: more about whether alli is right for you on myalli.com (safety information and FAQs).

And if you've got a better analogy for "why use a pill" than gasoline coupons or toothpaste, let me know.