It's here and you should know all about the first over the counter FDA approved weight loss pill, alli. A word of caution: if you're a cheater on your diets - it seems like Glaxo is raising red flags before things get messy. No seriously, read on to find out what I'm talking about.

Alli works by preventing your body from absorbing some of the fat you eat. It attaches to natural enzymes in the digestive system and prevents absorption of fat from the foods you eat. Undigested fat cannot be absorbed and passes through the body naturally. I know you're wondering about side effects, so here you go: the most common treatment effects (as they're eloquently called) come from eating meals with too much fat. The unabsorbed excess fat is not harmful - but it will not go unnoticed. In fact, you may recognize it in the toilet as something that looks like the oil on top of a pizza. The treatment effects may include gas with oily spotting, loose stools, and more frequent stools that may be hard to control. Eating a low-fat diet with 15 grams of fat per meal on average can lower the chance of experiencing these treatment effects.

Final thoughts to consider: #1 - It doesn't require a prescription but it will cost you. Expect to pay between $65 and $75 per month for alli. #2 -- Users of alli must reduce the fat in their diets or else they will run the risk of the trots. Does this remind anybody of those fat free potato chips made with Olestra? The Diet Channel has an article, written by an MD, for more details on the first ever FDA approved over-the-counter weight loss product. Click to read the whole review.

The FDA has approved a new over-the-counter weight loss drug called alli (orlistat) that is designed to absorb 25% of the fat from your meal. However, nutrition and fitness expert Dr. Len Lopez, author of "To Burn or Not to Burn, Fat is the Question" shares his reasons why the new approved weight loss drug may not be beneficial to your health.

New research is showing that medications don't make us healthier. Research is showing that losing weight with medications doesn't decrease the rate of heart attacks, strokes or diabetes. Add that to the fact that your body loses nutrients with these medications and you can easily see how these new weight loss drugs can hamper your health. Dr. Lopez discusses practical steps to losing weight which includes diet and exercise, but also covers how stress and adrenal fatigue can disrupt our hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormonal imbalances can throw off our metabolism and take us out of our fat burning mode.

Both of Dr.Lopez's books cover a good deal of information to understand how we can correct our imbalances in piecing together the weight loss puzzle. His knowledge explores the roles of insulin and cortisol in weight gain, cravings, fatigue and more. He also explains how stress can take you out of your fat burning zone and helps you regain your blood sugar balance, as well as implementing the "Five and Two" dieting plan.

Say NO to the weight loss drugs and say YES to the empowering knowledge Dr. Lopez has to share.

The journal Diabetes Care reports obese adults who lost a substantial amount of weight through lifestyle modification and dieting regained less weight when they took the diet drug Xenical, This approach was also associated with a reduced occurrence of type 2 diabetes.

Xenical burns fat while you are eating by inhibiting the absorption of dietary fat from your food. Studies have shown that the drug promotes more weight loss than lifestyle modification alone. The study examined the effectst of Xenical in preventing weight regain in 383 obese adults who had lost an average of 31.7 pounds (14.4 kg) on an 8-week protein-rich, very-low-energy diet. The 309 participants who lost 5% or more of their bodyweight then received lifestyle counseling for 3 years while taking either Xenical or a placebo pill daily. Both groups regained some weight. Xenical patients regained an average of 10 pounds, while placebo patients put back an average of 15 pounds.

Most importantly, during the 3-year study period only 8 of 153 in the Xenical group developed type 2 diabetes compared with 17 of 156 in the placebo group. That's remarkable. Twice as many people were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, in addition to regaining one and a half times the weight. As an aside (and not to be a whistleblower) but one of the warnings on the label says the drug should not be taken for more than 2 years. Just an FYI.