BIG NUMBER
40 million. That’s how many people are estimated to have taken orlistat (available as Alli or the prescription version Xenical) since Xenical was approved by the FDA in 1999. Alli, the lower-dose, over-the-counter version, was approved in 2007.
Read more Trump Says ‘I Love The Inflation’ After It Reaches 3-Year High
CONTRA
Though Alli, the brand name of the generic drug orlistat, is available without a prescription, the FDA, Mayo Clinic, British NHS and some high-profile doctors have warned against taking Alli without the supervision of a healthcare professional. Medical experts have largely raised concerns about drug interactions; risk of vitamin deficiencies; gastrointestinal side effects; serious liver, kidney, and gallbladder complications; or misuse by people with eating disorders and unhealthy weight-loss behaviors.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“These drugs have the potential to cause significant damage to multiple critical organs, yet they provide meager benefits in reducing weight loss in obese and overweight patients,” Dr. Sidney Wolfe, former director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, told ABC News.
Read more Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Hit’ Iran Again Today—After Previously Criticizing Lengthy Peace Talks
Key background
The United States is in the middle of a weight-loss drug boom thanks to the increasing popularity of GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Zepbound, but Alli played a different role in the history of weight-loss medications. When the FDA approved Alli in 2007, it became the first over-the-counter weight-loss drug in U.S. history, a title it still holds today. While GLP-1 drugs work by suppressing appetite, Alli works by blocking the absorption of some dietary fat. Orlistat generally produces more modest results, but it also helped normalize the idea that millions of Americans would seek pharmaceutical help to lose weight, if it was widely available and considered safe.
SURPRISING FACT
Polling by KFF found that about 1 in 8 U.S. adults were taking a GLP-1 drug by late 2025, roughly twice as many as in 2024.
Read more Elizabeth Warren Seeks Delay Of Blockbuster SpaceX IPO (Live Updates)