Fat-Busting Pill Comes To Chemist Near You
A pill which claims to help dieters lose pounds will be available over-the-counter from UKchemists on Wednesday.
A month's supply of Orlistat - which is known as Alli - costs £49.95 and will only be sold to people who are clinically overweight.
Nicola Lovejoy-Mellonie, 42, has been taking the pills as part of a trial since January.
She says unlike her previous attempts to lose weight, Alli has made a real difference.
"I've been able to carry on eating quite a lot of food and I'm losing about two-and-a-half pounds a week," she explained.
"It doesn't feel like I'm on a diet."
Nicola has now dropped from a size 18-20 to a size 12-14.
The pills work by limiting the absorption of fat, but many people experience unpleasant side-effects, including flatulence and diarrhoea.
GlaxoSmithKline, the drug company which makes the tablets, says pharmacists have been given advice how to sell the drug to ensure it is dispensed to people with genuine weight problems.
Patients must have a BMI of 28 or higher and be over 18 years old.
Dr David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum, has welcomed the increased availability of the pills.
He has been prescribing them as a GP for 10 years and says they do make a difference.
"The potential benefits are huge," he declares.
"It's never going to replace a good diet and increased activity but it will enhance them."
He added: "We need to wake up to the fact there's an obesity epidemic, and while prevention is important, we need to do something now."
Obesity is a growing problem and costs the NHS some £4.2bn every year but some question whether taking tablets is the answer.
Professor Steve Field Chairman, of the Royal College of GPs, believes weight loss is not as simple as a fat-busting pill.
"It's about changing behaviours - healthy eating and exercise," he explains.
"I would advise people to go on a sensible diet and it would certainly be more useful for them to spend their money on fruit."
Another concern for many is the availability of the drug online.
Although drug websites ask potential customers questions, there is no way of verifying the responses.
This grey area is a concern for Prof Field, who added: "Anorexia is a problem in society.
"I have significant concerns for people being able to buy the medication with proper diet advice."
