The Sun : £1 super-diet pill on way to UK

A DIET pill that can boost weight loss by 50 per cent may soon be sold in Britain.

The drug — called Alli — costs just £1 a day.

It was approved by watchdogs last night and may be available over the counter to over-18s within months if given the final nod from the European Commission.

The pill, currently used by millions in the US as part of a calorie-controlled diet, works by stopping about 25 per cent of food fat being absorbed into the body. Medics say it is safe as it operates in the gut so a minimal amount of the active ingredient gets into the blood.

Dr David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum, said: “This is more than just another weight-loss product. It is genuine and effective.”

Makers GlaxoSmithKline added: “With two-thirds of UK men and half of women overweight, we are thrilled the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has proposed approval.”

But Bristol Uni Prof Gareth Williams said: “It perpetuates the myth that obesity can be fixed by popping a pill.”