Ok, so are those pills on sale in Boots for real?

[Merse]

Saw a stand with loads of pills (now can't remember make) claiming they 'bind to fat/carbs' to prevent the body absorbing them. Ergo you don't absorb the calories and turn into Kate Moss. Can it really be that simple? I thought that pills claiming that were normally scams appearing in the back of 'should know better' cheap mags or dodgy internet sites. But in Boots???? Wondering if someone has discovered the holy grail. Can anyone verify? If true I plan on buying a load and sitting down with a pile of brownies….

Ooh watching with interest....

What, like alli I think it's called?

If its that sort of thing then it stops your body absorbing excess fat HOWEVER I would not recommend sitting down with a plate of anything that isn't salad if you take it as it turns the fat to a liquid which is practically impossible to erm - contain.

I know a poor woman who ate a pizza and woke in a brown oil slick.

No it wasn't me!

Can it really be that simple?

No.

Wondering if someone has discovered the holy grail.

They have, for whoever is getting the profits from selling the stuff!

Yes, they're called Alli (from the drug Orlistat or Xenical)

Side effects? Wet farts that follow through to shit running down your leg

For every pound you lose they claim
They can take away an extra pound - they bind 25% of fat - you must try very hard to
Control your diet as an overconsumption of fat leads to extra wet shit.

My ex FIL used to do it and wear adult nappies when He'd eaten the wrong thing

Just in case I'm not being clear, I would not recommend it - my ex FIL smelled very strongly of faeces.

Alli is orlistat I think, which turns any fat you eat into orange oil, which then runs out of your bum without prior consent I have seen the results in service users at my old job, not pleasant. And they didn't lose weight either!

Lol, wow they sound amazing ......totally worth it!!!

Laurie I think that was pretty clear!

It won't be Alli. It's been discontinued for about a year. It's probably that XLS Medical (something like that) I don't know much about it, I know it's not a prescription drug like xenical.

It's similar to Alli (I think) and the fat binder one is respectable, but has only a marginal effect. And doesn't work at all if you don't moderate your fat intake.

I don't know if the carb blocker is any good.

They do pretty much make you shit yourself. They're not pleasant.

My friend took them for a while and was working in retail... She had to abandon a couple of customers to dash off all of a sudden.

Someone at my uni reckoned someone on our floor must have been using them because they left a very distinctive smell in the loos. So grim.

You also leave a greasy orange tide mark in the toilet.

If you don't want to absorb fats and carbs then the simplest and cheapest method with no nasty side effects is to not put them into your digestive system in the first place. Duh.

However if you are taking alli/chemical/orlistat take psyllium husk with it and that gets rid of the side effects!

Has Alli been discontinued due to these delightful effects?

Blimey!! Sounds like a messy business. But equally sounds as if they do 'work' if you can cope with the slime and risk of accidents. Hmmm. Can't deny am still curious she says as she checks white chocolate birthday cake currently in oven

They 'work' but at OTC strengths, the effect is tiny. According to the Mayo Clinic site, studies show that, for two groups who embarked on a diet/exercise programme, one with fat blocker and one without, the former group lost more weight, averaging just over 5lbs a year. That's (rounded up) an extra 2oz per week.

The typical expected 1-2lbs loss from diet/exercise alone dwarfs that, even though it does sound good over a whole year.

And of course, any prop that helps you stick on a healthier eating plan is a good thing.

this is what they are peddling

My brother takes these and shits himself... And he hasn't lost weight, just prevented himself getting bigger.

I took xls medical for a few months. They worked ok, lost about 5kg. No bad side effects. I'd do it again if I wasn't trying for a baby. They are not a long term miracle cure.

Is the Orange packaging a hint as to the bum dribbles?

Seriously though I imagine if you have to lose weight very quickly it's probably got its uses.