I Opt-Out of My alli Challenge!

Sorry, but I just cannot bring myself to try alli as I challenged myself to do a few days ago (see "Take alli - I dare you!").

I went to my local CVS and spotted the diet section and alli was there in a very prominent, top-shelf location with lots of pamphlets, neat flip open panels that displayed information about alli ("what is alli?", "how does it work?", "what's the plan?" -- just flip up the panel and find out!) and even a window-shade gizmo that could be pulled down to reveal 6 questions or conditions I should agree to before trying alli.

Plan? Commitment?

What? Am I getting married to this product?

Somehow it made me feel right off the bat that if the pill didn't work, it was my fault for not being committed enough and not following the plan! Sounds like marriage to me!

[Maybe the commitment and plan stuff appeals more to women than to men?]

Then there was the cost of $49.95 for the "starter kit" which was a bulky white box that contained booklets, a portable pill case, and a bottle of 60 pills -- enough for 20 days. I did a quick calculation and learned that I would have to take three pills each day! Like Sally Field, I have enough things to do and don't want to worry about taking all those pills! Just give me one pill I can take every month and let me sit or stand for 30 minutes -- done!

So I realized that the price would be an issue -- nearly $75 per month! -- and compliance also -- remembering to take a pill with each meal (or before or after -- I didn't stick around to find out which) and I also had to remember to bring along the pill case when I eat out.

Of course, I already knew about the oily discharge "treatment effect" and I was willing to accept that challenge. The box suggested, however, that I start a low fat diet BEFORE I started taking alli. Jeez! If I was that committed, I wouldn't need the damn pill!

Then I read the back of the starter kit where it said that alli may interfere with the absorption of vitamins and I should take my multi-vitamin at bedtime. OK, that would require another change in my daily regimen!

Add to all that the comments I received by e-mail from fans who were wishing me luck but expressed concern that I would fail.

What I learned is that alli has a few problems other than its famous "treatment effect" that may be holding back sales.