Rarely a week goes by that does not feature some sort of controversy about Alli Orlistat – the GlaxoSmithKline produced and self processed miracle slimming tablet.

April 2009 was when Alli was released into the UK and across Europe.

6 months on an the hype, awe and wonderment has been replaced with revelations that Alli may not be quite so wonderful as first thought.

A recent BBC report highlights the lengths that people will stretch to obtain the pharmaceutically produced fat blocker.

How To Buy Alli

Although Alli is available over the counter and free to purchase without GP consultation and prescription – buying via the high street in authorised outlets such as Boots, Superdrug and other chemists is not entirely straight forward.

To qualify to buy in store, potential customers are initially consult with the in store pharmacist were he or she would calculate a BMI (Body Mass Index) and then the pharmacist would decide whether or not to allow a purchase.

A BMI result  of 28 or above would enable a customer to purchase.

Check Your BMI

These regulations were put in place to try to prevent people that were not overly in need of any weight loss medication or indeed not classified as overweight from obtaining and using the drug.

Now its seems customers have taken to buying Alli online and skirting around these rather loose and ambiguous regulations by completing the required online form using false and inaccurate details.

The main concern now is that suffers of anorexia and bulimia are getting hold of Alli by ordering from the internet.

The Royal College of Doctors and general practitioners  suggests it’s a serious concern and BEAT, Britain’s leading eating disorder organisation, says it is aware of  buyers with anorexia and bulimia are easily obtaining Alli

They’re avoiding face-to-face contact with a pharmacist by buying from authorised chemists online and getting the pills delivered by royal mail.

GlaxoSmithKlines rebuttal appears to be understated.

A spokesman for Glaxo says “Dozens upon dozens of clinical trials on thirty thousand candidates in many countries have proved Alli is safe.” Although this doesn’t really address the problem as to why a slimming drug is being sold to people with eating disorders!

Glaxosmithkline say it simply won’t have much effect on someone with an eating disorder such as bulimia and anorexia because there is so little fat in their diet.

While we wait patiently for the outcome it is inadvisable to hold your breathe because any possible future ruling and regulation change could take months if not years.

How Does Alli Work

_______________________________________