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.

Odds are, if you are reading this, you probably know what a treatment effect (TE) is and why they can happen. And yes, we have been very open about TEs in our marketing of alli. USA Today even writes about our sense of scatalogical humor.

But is there really a benefit to using a product that could result in treatment effects? Many cynics say no, but new users of alli disagree. Some people have even been rethinking treatment effects. Not because they're unpleasant, but because TEs are keeping them honest. The USA Today article makes that point too.

What do you think? Can treatment effects increase motivation for people really committed to losing weight?

alliFirst Team member Caryn Eyring (left) told People Magazine she's lost 21 pounds since she started taking alli in April, along with "cutting fat [and] doing yoga."

She's quoted in the July 9, 2007 issue of People (page 77) with a post-jail Paris Hilton on the cover. Caryn had one  "alli-oops" episode after eating a chicken with crispy noodles appetizer, according to People. alli, she says in the article, "is forcing me to eat healthier."

Yup, alli will punish cheaters if you don't stick to a low-fat diet. But isn't that the whole point... to encourage a healthier way of eating? As another alliFirst member, Paula Miguel, told People: "If I stopped taking alli today, I would still keep those new habits."

Oh and just a reminder that coverage of the alli program by People Magazine is not an endorsement. 

You may be hearing from a select group of people who started using alli in April. We're calling them the alliFirst Team. They are 400 overweight adults - men and women - whom we recruited as eager volunteers to try the alli program.

Hundreds of clinical studies have been done on Orlistat, the active ingredient in alli - but we wanted to get some early feedback based on "the real world."  You may have seen comments about alli on other sites.  alliFirst members have set up their own online communities (on SparkPeople, for example) to share ideas and help each other. 

The alliFirst members have received many of the same educational tools that will be available this coming Friday when alli hits store shelves.  They've also received a six months supply of alli to compensate them for their advice - but their opinions are their own.

Read on for the invitation letter we sent to the alliFirst Team to come check out this blog.

Letter sent to alliFirst Team members

Dear alli First Team:

We would like to invite you to be among the first to visit our blog at alliConnect.com.  The alliConnect blog is a place to talk about weight loss with the alli brand team.  You are welcome to leave a comment, but you don't have to.

You should keep in mind that if your comment is published, it will appear on a public web page and will be seen by others.  So you should be careful about revealing too much personal information. 

However, we would like you to identify yourself as someone who is part of the alli First Team - a special group of consumers who are already using the alli weight control capsules and program.  And as always:

- express only your own opinion

- share only your own experiences; do not write about others on the team

- comment on what you know from personal experience; do not speculate or fabricate

- disclose that you have received product at no cost but that you are otherwise not compensated by GSK, the makers of alli

- be respectful and thoughtful; your comments will be read by many

We continue to value your insights, opinions, suggestions and appreciate your dedication to the alliFirst team.

Sincerely,

Karen L. Hill, Associate Brand Manager, Weight Control
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare