Popping pills won't make you thin

Users of Alli, the first weight-loss drug approved for sale over-the-counter in the United States, are finding what they likely suspected all along: pills are no magic substitute for diet and exercise.

Yet as Americans engage in the New Year's tradition of resolving to shed pounds, the market for diet aids is expected to remain firm, even as the economy is mired in recession.

Americans spend $30 billion a year on weight-loss products and services, and two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese.