Glaxo Smith Kline's Alli is the first nonprescription fat absorption drug or weight loss pill approved by the FDA. Marketing for these weight loss pills, a version of the diet drug Xenical, emphasizes its role as a supplement to a healthy lifestyle. It's not a weight loss pill that leads you to believe you can skip exercise and nutritious meals. Rather, it's part of a whole healthy living plan.
How weight loss pills increase unhealthy behaviors
Marketing professors from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Wharton School of Business found that obese consumers who take prescription or over-the-counter weight loss pills become more likely to eat junk food and exercise less. That's likely because people figure the fat absorption pill or weight loss pills will melt away the pounds without exertion. Weight loss pills may also prompt consumers to believe they can't lose weight themselves through self-discipline, diet and exercise. They become dependent on the diet pills and feel ineffective without them.
Researchers found that diet supplements or weight loss supplements didn't have the same effect as weight loss pills or diet pills. Researchers think it's because the very word supplement leads people to think that supplementary or extra work is necessary to lose weight. That is, they expect to watch what they eat, try weight loss camps, and exercise vigorously simply because they're taking a supplement.
Weight loss pills or diet pills can decrease your activity level and weaken your eating habits.
Your perspective of weight loss pills
It's how you view your weight loss pills or diet pills: are they drugs or supplements? Finding the right psychological motivation to lose weight is the key to healthy, sustained weight loss. That and believing that nothing tastes as good as feeling fit and proud feels!
Glaxo Smith Kline's Alli fat absorption pills
The marketing plan of Glaxo Smith Kline's Alli (weight loss pills) is different because the company is emphasizing the fact that menu planning and exercise are keys to a healthy lifestyle. These weight loss pills alone won't cause fat to melt away or comfort foods to suddenly be calorie-free – but they could be an integral part of a healthier, thinner lifestyle.
Glaxo Smith Kline isn't advertising Alli as a magic wonder fat absorption pill or weight loss pill that will make you slim and beautiful in six weeks. It's different than the typical "lose 25 pounds and look gorgeous overnight!" advertisements surrounding many weight loss pills. By highlighting the long-term commitment and hard work necessary for sustainable healthy weight loss, Glaxo Smith Kline is educating consumers up front so informed decisions can be made.
Some doctors advise dealing with the reason you're overweight and before you turn to weight loss pills or diet pills. Are you unhappy, scared, bored, or depressed? Weight loss pills or fat absorption pills won't solve the underlying problems causing obesity. If you're considering Glaxo Smith Kline's Alli, think about discussing possible side effects or other considerations of these weight loss pills with your doctor or pharmacist.
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Source: Science Daily
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen - Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen is a full-time writer and blogger in Vancouver, BC, and the creator of the Quips and Tips blog series.
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