Hello. I’m Karen Scollick and I’m pleased to be leading the new Behavioral Science team for GSK Consumer Healthcare, which includes alli as well as our smoking control products.  As I mentioned in my bio, I enjoy sailing and I see a number of parallels between sailing and my new role.

Behind the images and stories that summarize these journeys exist poignant recounts of challenges that have been faced, from overcoming cravings and other temptations to managing treatment effects and increasing simple daily activity levels. We can all learn and grow from their candid comments.

In the marketing profession, change is a constant.  At alliconnect, we've recently had a change in leadership.

Founding alliconnect blogger, Steve Burton, recently resigned from his position as Vice President of Weight Control for GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. Steve was instrumental to the creation of alliconnect blog and his blog entry on his oops experience is still one of the most visited posts to date. 

You will soon be introduced to Karen Scollick, the newly appointed Vice President for US Weight Control at GSK.  Karen has held many leadership positions in the GSK Consumer Healthcare business, the most recent as the General Manager for GSK Consumer Healthcare Canadian and Puerto Rico.

Look for her first post on alliconnect in the coming weeks.

Katrina and I thought it would be a good time to clarify this as some readers are leaving comments on the blog that are more appropriate for the alli message board. Namely, very specific questions about the use of alli: product availability, directions for use, drug interactions, etc. These comments won't be posted on alliConnect. (See our Comments policy.)

Here's why: both this blog and the alli message board are places for an exchange of information and for discussion. However, the message board is specifically designed to answer questions about individual experiences of using alli and the alli plan (like those mentioned above). It's staffed by a group of weight loss experts, including dieticians, pharmacists and fitness professionals, who are compensated by GSK but whose opinions are their own. If you choose, you can also get answers by using the contact us function on myalli.com.

The blog, in contrast, is a place to talk about broader issues surrounding weight loss, as well as to draw open the curtain on the educational marketing campaign behind alli. It's also a way to speak directly to the branding team, including GSK Consumer Healthcare VP of weight loss Steve Burton.

Stay tuned and thanks for your patience.

Useful Links

alli message board

Frequently Asked Questions about alli (on myalli.com)

Comment and Response policy on the message board

Comments policy on the alli blog

We launched this blog very quietly about a month ago. No press release, no screaming from the rooftop. So we've been watching with interest to see how visitors find it. Here is some data for you metrics hounds. (We're using Google Analytics, a very cool - and free - Web metrics program.)

Almost one third of the traffic is coming from organic searches on Google. i.e. someone types in "alli blog" or "alli blogs" or "alli treatment effects" and the blog comes up in the search results.

Visitors are finding this blog through Google searches

If you type in "alli blog" the blog comes up #2 or #3 in search results. Try it. If you type in "alli treatment effects" the blog appears at the bottom of the first page of search results. (Note: search results may change.)

We've gotten a thumbs-up from a few influential bloggers

Traffic to the blog is also coming from other blogs. John Bell, who works for Ogilvy PR, reviewed alliConnect in an entry titled GlaxoSmithKline Gets Social. Marketing consultant Toby Bloomberg reviewed the blog. And it was written up on Healthcare Vox.

But we're still not getting as many Comments from readers as we'd like. Challenge us, compliment us, ask us tough questions. Click below and fire away!   

Welcome! alli is the only FDA-approved OTC (over the counter) weight loss product available for overweight adults. You've probably seen our advertising (check out our TV ads on YouTube). The goal of this blog is to have a two-way conversation about weight loss issues. We are going to challenge many people's notions about weight loss. And, we want you to challenge us in return. I encourage you to leave a comment below or on any other entry.

My oops experience...

I hope you'll stick with me - and our other contributing authors - and give us time to find our stride in the blogosphere.

You have surely heard about alli by now. It's the only FDA-approved OTC (over the counter) weight loss product. We've launched alli with a major advertising campaign (see our TV ads on YouTube). We've started this blog (yes, it's the official alli corporate blog) in order to do something a bit different.

This will be a two-way conversation. We're going to talk to you honestly about weight loss. In fact, we're going to challenge many people's notions about weight loss. We want to hear back from you. And we want you to challenge us in return. I hope you'll leave a comment.

My name is Steve Burton and I'm VP of weight control for GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. I've spent my career writing business memos so my blogging may sound a little, er, corporate. Oh and if you're wondering about the photo at left, that's me holding five pounds of fat. I've used alli myself and managed to lose 60 pounds. My oops experience...

I hope you'll stick with me - and our other contributing authors - and give us time to find our stride in the blogosphere.

Update: as of June 15, 2007, you can find alli on the shelves at a pharmacy or retailer near you. Official press release

If you have questions or concerns about using alli, please leave your message here.

If you want to give us feedback about this blog or suggest new topics, we encourage you to leave a Comment. We do review all comments in advance before publishing them.

Review our Comments Policy. 

This blog is written by employees of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare who are authorized to speak on behalf of the company. 

Our posts and answers to your comments reflect our company's point of view. They are based on the latest in science and what we've learned from talking to consumers.

When we offer personal points of views, or talk about our experience with alli, we'll make sure that's clear.

Full legal disclosure

Privacy Policy

We will do our best to review and publish your comment within 24 to 48 hours.

Please note that the blog is not the place for product-specific questions about your use of alli. These should be submitted to the alli community message board where you will also find Frequently Asked Questions.

The purpose of this blog is to stimulate discussion. However, we reserve the right to reject comments that contain profanity, are inflammatory or are otherwise inappropriate.  We will not publish opinions that are so far outside of mainstream science as to be misleading or confusing.  We will not permit comments to be disguised as sales pitches for other products or services.

Please share your stories and experiences with weight loss, as well as your opinions - even if they are critical of alli. However, please do not include your mailing address or phone number.

Again, for product information or more information about GlaxoSmithKline's official position, please visit myalli.com.