alli (low-dose Xenical), which goes on sale in the U.S. in mid-June, is the first weight-loss drug approved for over-the-counter sale since the FDA in 2000 urged manufacturers to withdraw products containing phenylpropanolamine.

The drug phenylpropanolamine (PPA) was found in many over the counter (OTC) cold and flu remedies, as well as appetite suppressants, until most of them were recalled at the FDA's urging. It no longer is commercially available in the United States, but may still be sold elsewhere.

The hundreds of other diet pills found on health-food or drugstore shelves, or marketed over the internet, are NOT over-the-counter drugs. They are diet supplements, or herbal supplements, and are NOT subject to regulatory preapproval by the U.S. FDA. Tests have shown that many do not contain what they say they contain on the label. Buyer beware.

For more information on alli (pronounced Al-EYE), or on the problems with phenylpropanolamine, click on the links below.