Acomplia is a new prescription diet pill that promises to curb your eating enthusiasm. It can also fool your brain into thinking that you just ate a “cow�, and if that is not enough, it blocks fat absorption.

Last week it was unleashed in United Kingdom, with FDA approval, it could soon appear on US market. If these amazing weight loss claims sound all too familiar, you probably spending a little too much time on PubMed Central, or maybe a memory of Xenical is slowly beginning to tickle your neurotransmitters.

Despite a number of appalling side effects Xenical was approved by FDA on April 23, 1999. But sales of Xenical (Orlistat) quickly head south when the side effects became all too real for many unsuspecting consumers. I am referring to what is euphemistically known as “anal leakage� and uncontrollable flatulence.

If that sounds tame, recent animal studies show the pill increases the risk of colon cancer. Great, thank you FDA! Millions of people achieved safe and successful weight loss with 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). I suspect that I will stop making embarrassing spelling mistakes sooner than we see FDA’s blessing for it.

In clinical trials, those who took high doses of Acomplia lost weight, improved their good cholesterol, lowered blood-fat levels, and even quit smoking. Those getting lower-dose still lost some weight, but the difference was negligible. When people stopped taking the drug, they gained back the weight they had lost.

Some critics point out to Acomplia side effects such as increased risk of psychiatric disorders, but overall it appears to be safe, or so they claim. It has a different mechanism of action than its predecessors, so we should not see Xenical like side effects. I really hope that this time FDA does a better job evaluating Acomplia safety.