Alli - wonder drug or embarassment creator extraordinaire

[Woochifer]

BTW, these side effects are the same as Olestra -- the fat substitute that made its way into a bunch of ice creams and snack foods before an FDA mandated warning label (see below) got slapped onto all products containing Olestra and demand quickly fizzled out.

This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added.

[emaidel]

BTW, these side effects are the same as Olestra -- the fat substitute that made its way into a bunch of ice creams and snack foods before an FDA mandated warning label (see below) got slapped onto all products containing Olestra and demand quickly fizzled out.

Long before products made with Olestra were available, food purists were alarmed at the possible side effects (I believe it was the Olestra side effect of "anal leakage" that actually created that horrible term), and the fact that Olestra was a "non-food" that actually deprived one of nutritional benefits of foods made with it.

Naturally, most of this alarm was appropriate only when huge amounts were ingested, such as five or more large bags of potato chips. "Wow!" brand potato chips were test-marketed at a series of different locations throughout the country prior to releasing the product nationwide, and in all of those test markets, the stores couldn't keep the product on the shelves. Side effects were minimal, if they occurred at all.

Once made readily availble, "Wow!" potato chips flopped, not because of Olestra's side effects, but because they chips were far greasier than standard potato chips, and because they cost so much more money. A regular bag may cost $3.59, but the Wow! version, with a somewhat lower content of chips, sold for $4.95 - just far too much more money.

The name "Wow!" has now been replaced with "Light," but the chips are the same: they taste pretty good, are a bit greasy, and don't cause any side effects (unless you eat a ton of them). And they're still too expensive.

[Woochifer]

Long before products made with Olestra were available, food purists were alarmed at the possible side effects (I believe it was the Olestra side effect of "anal leakage" that actually created that horrible term)

Well, it's only a horrible term if you think about it too much ... or at all!

Actually, I recall watching a standup comedian back in the 80s doing a whole routine about "wet farts" ... it was really funny, but not quite crapinyourpants funny!