Alli is the manufacturer name for Orlistat. If the name Orlistat sounds familiar to you, then you may have been among the hundreds of thousands of people who purchased Olestra fat-substitute potato chips during the mid-nineties, which promised to help control fat. This product was originally touted to not only offer a fat-substitute chip, but to also help the body reduce up to 30% of the fat you ingest on a daily basis. The side effects? Diarrhea, stomach cramping and oily poop.

Alli, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in FDA approved pill form, (and an over-the-counter less-potent form of Xenical) touts similar benefits and side effects. Without getting an exact chemical make-up of these two products, it is impossible at this writing to determine how alike they truly are. But most roads lead to the fact that they are one-in-the-same.

Olestra was submitted for FDA approval by Procter and Gamble. Even then, the introduction of Olestra was met with a storm of protest. For one thing, vitamins A, D, E and K are delivered via oils. Since Olestra cannot determine which oil, bad or good, is affected by its mechanism, both are removed from the system Mechanics. That is another trail that leads this author to believe they are one-in-the-same product. Olestra blocked the absorption of fat throughout the intestines. Alli behaves in the same manner.

As far as using this product as part of a diet regime, its proponents are not promising the moon. They agree that it only increases weight loss by about 5% when used with a viable food and exercise program. The big hype is that it is FDA approved for over-the-counter sales and, just like in the case of Olestra; its approval was protested because of the possible vitamin deficiencies that could occur from its use.

Alli's website suggests their clients plan on a gradual weight loss and offers an accompanying book that educates the user with regard to modifying food intake and increasing exercise. When addressing side effect issues, those that are outside the obvious embarrassment of leaking bowels are considered a matter of user responsibility. In other words, Alli will not take responsibility for your dietary choices while using the pill and does not espouse recognition of any additional side effects than the aforementioned embarrassing discomfort. In fact, it holds that the gastrointestinal affects that may accompany its use are not serious enough to be considered adverse.

That, however, is not what the food industry decided when it pulled Olestra-laden chips from the shelves. The gastrointestinal side effects were so wide-spread that the products were pulled within six months. Furthermore, most physicians believed that its far-too-sparse benefits are outweighed by the fact that a patient with true symptoms of serious disease might not seek medical attention, if they believe their malady is associated with the pill. Therefore, since the use of this pill does not have to be monitored by a physician, it is best for the potential user to educate themselves as to the pros and cons associated with its use.