Pharmaceutical companies have not been allowed to market their products directly to Canadians and in my opinion, for good reason.
You must have seen the beautiful ads about Julies's story - and what she might do if she was just 5 pounds lighter. showing already slender women wishing they were thinner so that they could wear their bikinis, or strip tease for their husband, or wear that little black dress - if only they could lose a few pounds.
In a society already plagued with young women succumbing to anorexia and bulimia, Julie'a Story is not what we need.
According to the Globe and Mail (02/24/05) the "Julie's Story" ad
campaign is being funded by Hoffman-LaRoche to promote sales of their
pharmaceutical, Xenical (also known as Orlistat). Xenical is no magic
pill that simply melts the pounds away for those of us wanting to lose a
few, as the ads may suggest, but a prescription medication approved only
for the treatment of obesity.
What the ads don't say is what Xenical does to the body.
Xenical works by preventing the absorption of dietary fats from the
foods you eat, with undigested fat removed through bowel movements. In
the process, the absorption of some important fat-soluble vitamins and
beta-carotene in the diet are blocked. So those taking Xenical must also
take vitamin supplements to get the essential nutrients they are no
longer able to absorb from the foods that they eat.
The most common side-effects of Xenical are the following:
Oily or fatty bowel movements (stools)
Increased number of bowel movements
Urgent need and/or inability to control bowel movement
Bowel movements that are orange or brown in colour
Gas with discharge
Oily discharge
Stomach pain
Irregular menstrual periods.
Xenical is also not recommended for those who are pregnant, planning to
get pregnant, breastfeeding, or who suffer from chronic malabsorption
syndrome or cholestasis.
Oh YUM I want some!
For more information, visit their website at:
Complete Product Information: Xenical - Hoffman-LaRoche,
Xenical