"Somebody Making Soup?"
So that new weight loss drug, which we shall code name “Todd Packer,” has hit the market. And it is selling like hotcakes in spite of the fact that there is an outside chance that it causes colon cancer, and that it definitely causes you to poop your pants.
“It’s probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work,” the drug’s Web site says.
Yum! Another tidbit from that article: the buyers of the drug are overwhelmingly women, and they are described as “not fat.” People, you are beautiful the way you are! Don’t take the anal leakage pill!
In related news, a rival drug company has made a fake “poopy pants” commercial (which the main three networks are refusing to air). You can find out more about it here, and it’s available all over the internet.
“The ad is funny. Really funny. Most everybody laughs when they see it, except the network executives and probably alli’s distributor GlaxoSmithKline. Sure, it depicts someone soiling her pants, what we affectionately call an ‘alli accident,’ but that’s what can happen when people take alli. It says as much on the website and in the alli book. And while the networks are willing to take GSK’s money to run positive ads about alli, they seem disinclined to offer the public the other side of the story.”
Some people are trying it; some are ambivalent, and some are staying far, far away from it. Me included!
Oh, by the way, the post title and code name both come from the Office episode called “The Carpet.”
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Advertising, Health, Science, The Office, Weight Loss
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I’ve been surprised by what a bad rap Alli has been getting in the press. I just read an article the other day where they only quoted one doctor, a bariatric surgeon, who of course had negative things to say about the drug…they didn’t mention his obvious conflict of interest there, and the rest of it was all quotes from people saying “ew, no way, I don’t want to poop my pants!” But I guess that’s the angle that makes the whole thing an interesting story.
Alli is an extremely safe drug. The risk of abuse is nil. It works, modestly, for most people who take it, and most of them do not experience any GI side effects. And nobody’s going to force anyone to take it if they don’t want to. So what’s the big deal?
Well it’s half-strength Orlistat (which I guess means pants pooping is less likely than with the full-strength version) and you’re right, it doesn’t seem to be unsafe. But from what I’ve read, it doesn’t seem to work all that well over the long term, and it costs a lot of money. It seems to be preying on people looking for a quick fix that just doesn’t exit. I don’t know, it just creeps me out. I was reading the brochure today and it says you poop out something that looks like “the oil on top of a pizza.” Ew!
Well, even with the full-strength Xenical, the rate of those severe GI side effects is less that what you’d think from the media accounts, with only around 25% of people who take the drug ever experiencing them. Obviously, that is still a significant number, but it’s far from a universal side effect.
As for the issue of cost effectiveness, I guess my feeling is that it’s up to people to try for themselves and see if they want. I mean, I think it’s stupid to pay $150 for jeans that supposedly make your ass look really good, but plenty of women apparently find that a worthwhile investment. But they probably shouldn’t take Orlistat while they’re wearing them…
mmm
Which is more attractive?
Being thin with soiled pants…
Or…
Being Fat and with clean underwear….
Not much of a choice there.
I’ll be fat and fresh…
I’d rather be fat and fresh. Diet pills never work anyway. They make you a dependent fruitcake (no offense to anyone who is actually on them) and besides…pooping your pants just to be thin? Just take some Correctol.
Hmmm. It sounds like the main point of the pill is really to provide a deterrent to eating fatty foods, and I question the effectiveness of the approach. Sure, ideally it’s healthy to eat low-fat, but it sounds like you could eat low-fat for a week, and then treat yourself to a scoop of ice-cream and BOOM, you have a GI problem. Yuck.
Maybe I’m exagerating, and as others have said, it’s a personal choice. I just doubt that people would stay on a program like that for very long, if it never allows you to indulge without the gross side effects. (I’m basing this on the web site’s statement regarding not eating more than 15% fat, or some such, to avoid the possibility of GI problems.) I think there’s a lot of evidence to show that long-term deprivation of certain “treat” foods just leads to binging later.
Mo Pie, I had the same response to the “oil on pizza” note on the website. Eeeewwwww!
Deterring people from eating fatty foods is a secondary consequence of the drug’s main action, which is to prevent the absorption of some of the calories in the fat in food that you eat. And the recommendation is that you not eat meals with more than 15 grams of fat, not 15%. That’s pretty closely in line with what most dieticians say you should be eating anyway, it’s not draconian. But if you do want to indulge, they tell you you can just skip the dose you would have taken with that meal.
Ahh, 15 grams does make more sense; I should have double-checked before posting. Thanks for the correction/clarification, La Wade.
That said, I still wouldn’t take the stuff and I think that around 25% of users is a pretty significant number for a side effect like that. But that’s my own “ew” factor, combined with my personal distrust of drugs like this, not a judgement of those for whom it may work.
La Wade – the problem with this drug, for me, is that it is just another diet, in essence. You may be able to, with the drug, starve yourself more efficiently, but you aren’t fooling your body.
When you go off the drug and attempt maintenance on your own (and I’m not sure who can afford to stay on it at the cost of the OTC), then your body will work really hard to put you back to having enough fat stores to survive the next famine you inflict on it.
And if there is a possibility of colon cancer, its seriously not a worthwhile risk.
Whatever happened to the old fashioned thing like watching your diet and excercising? There’s a TV ad (I haven’t seen it in a while) marketing a product called, “Excerciza” It’s pretty clever because it’s not a pill they’re marketing, but actual excercise. The catch phrase is “No pill, no potions, just results”. I used to use fat burners and all they did was make me thirsty and jittery. I can’t imagine using a fat blocker. Eccchhh. My salsa and stretch classes feel a LOT better.
.. you know what this reminds me of? REmember olestra? Remember the Lay’s potato chips bag you passed around your circle of friends, breaking into spasms of laughter as it warned (in very fine print) of “anal leakage”?
LMFAO.
Olestra chips are still on the market! But in 2003, the FDA stopped requiring manufacturers to label olestra products with the list of potential side effects.
Alli is bad because I will have side effects if I have a whopper and large fries? Really now, because the dietician I saw said not to eat that anyhow.
Go ahead and flame me, but I’m giving Alli a try. I have had absolutely no side effects. The Alli plan is not deprivation, I get way more calories than on weight watchers and 20 grams of fat is allowed per meal for someone my size. That is not unreasonable.
It’s my choice, and I’m not anymore embarrased or ashamed of it than you are of yours not to try it.
Well, I am certainly not going to flame you, Beth! Let us know how it works out; I’m really curious. Good luck.
The funny thing about this drug is that you HAVE to eat right and exercise in order to lose weight. Ummmm….well you can do that for FREE!
And the free way doesn’t require diapers! ;)
But I guess for a short term, it is a deterrant to force you into some better eating habits. Unfortunately, MOST folks won’t use it that way.