RESEARCHERS DISCOVER NEW OLESTRA SIDE EFFECT (EMBARGOED UNTIL 5

RESEARCHERS DISCOVER NEW OLESTRA SIDE EFFECT (EMBARGOED UNTIL 5 P.M. EST, FEB. 14)

DALLAS (Wireless Flash) -- A new study is revealing the straight poop on olestra: it can actually fool doctors into thinking you have a digestive disease. Researchers at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas have discovered people who eat large amounts of the fake fat can be incorrectly diagnosed with a condition known as "steatorrhea." The disease is marked by excessive weight loss and occurs when people aren't properly digesting their food. Dr. John Fordtran says olestra increases the level of fat in the stools, which is usually a sign a person is suffering from steatorrhea. He's now suggesting that doctors ask their patients if they're eating large amounts of olestra before performing any tests on their feces. The study appears in the latest "Annals of Internal Medicine."