PITTSBURGH — Alli, the only Food and Drug Administration-approved over-the-counter weight-loss product, will be on shelves of pharmacies, grocery stores and mass merchandisers nationwide later this week, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare here said yesterday. Alli is designed assist overweight adults willing to change how they eat and to lose weight gradually. To communicate this idea, alli is being supported by multicultural and bilingual educational effort, presenting it as more than a pill, but a comprehensive weight-loss program. Customers will have access to an individualized online action plan with a year's worth of lessons included at myalli.com with each alli purchase. Alli works by blocking about 25% of fat in the foods eaten, reducing the amount of fat and calories absorbed. It must be used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet. Many supermarket pharmacy directors plan to add signage that alerts customers to the availability of the pharmacist for counseling in regards to this drug.

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