With diet pill alli (low-dose orlistat) headed for a mid-June launch, you might want to take a look at the new official alli book -- called "Are You Losing It? Losing Weight Without Losing Your Mind" -- which is remarkably candid about what to expect if you take the drug.

The book, which began appearing in early May on shelves of grocery stores and pharmacies, is part of the premarketing educational campaign for the diet pill agreed to by Glaxo Smith Kline before the Food and Drug Administration okayed alli as only FDA approved, over-the-counter weight loss product.

The $5.99 book is largely a compendium of common sense tips on losing weight -- ie, "begin an exercise program," "start eating healthier foods" -- and it also takes a number of shots at the "big bold claims from other weight loss products that promise unbelievable results."

But it also is remarkably candid about the side-effects (which Glaxo calls "treatment effects") which prevented the prescription version of the drug, Xenical, from ever becoming a big seller.

These "treatment effects," which occur when you eat a meal with too much fat when taking alli, "can include loose or more frequent stools that may be hard to control, or gas with an oily discharge."

And how likely is this to happen. Well, the books "tips for managing treatment effects" counsels:

• "Give yourself some time to adjust. Starting the alli program when you have some time away from work will help you know what to expect.
• "Until you have a sense of your treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work.
• "You may not usually get gassy, but it's a possibility when you take Alli. The bathroom is really the only place to go when that happens."