Fitness PR Division

Recently a girlfriend of mine; "Kelly Z." the Republican friend that drives a Chevy Tahoe, Church on Sunday, Pro-Life, etc. You name the "Bush list" and she checks it off. Well...she started dating this really cool Democrat. The guy even worked on the Gore campaign. I think my prayers finally have been answered. One thing Kelly does not have on her check list is the Republican figure. Standing at 5'9, slim with the curves in the right places - Kelly is far from what you would call "the typical red state lady." Kelly is not on the American gravy train toward obesity like most people in their early thirties today. Kelly exercises, eates right and does not smoke!

I tried Xenical back in the day when it first came on the market. I have to say that watching my food pass through me was not appealing. So if your way of dieting is by getting grossed out by how you churn food this pill might be for you.

But a new study reveals that a low dose of the diet drug orlistat, coupled with a reduced-calorie diet, leads to significant weight loss and improved lipid and blood pressure profiles and is well tolerated, according to results of three studies reported at the International Congress of Obesity in Sydney, Australia.

Orlistat 60 milligrams, which will be marketed as Alli (pronounced AL-eye) is a low-dose version of GlaxoSmithKline's prescription drug Xenical (orlistat 120 mg capsules). It is currently under review at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Orlistat blocks absorption of approximately 25 percent of fat consumed and would be indicated for use in people "18 years of age and older who are overweight and committed to losing weight and making the dietary changes that will be needed to be successful," said Bansal.

High-fiber whole grains may help dieters lose weight while making gains in some nutrients, new research suggests.

In a six-month study of 180 overweight adults, researchers found that whole-grain cereals helped people lose weight while boosting their consumption of fiber, magnesium and vitamin B-6.

Their intake of these nutrients was higher than that of dieters who cut calories but did not eat whole-grain cereal. The implication, say researchers, is that fiber-rich cereals can help people cut calories while maintaining or improving the quality of their diet.

The study, which received funding from Kraft Foods, Inc., is published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.