New weight loss drug Orlistat released.

This information is only a basic overview, detailed information you should contact your doctor. This drug was recently released by Pharmaceutical company Roche. The active substance is called Orlistat and the drug is marketed as Xenical. It is aimed at people with a BMI of 30 or above. It's works by inhibiting Lipase which is an enzyme in your intestine..

The constant search for new weight loss drugs continues and this is another attempt to find that cure. As with all drugs for weight loss, you have to keep being sceptical. As many of the drugs only work temporarily or you only lose weight when you are on them. It's always important to realise that it is ultimately up to you to lose the weight, and that drugs are only an aid to help you on your way.

Orlistat works by preventing your body from absorbing the fat that you eat. This is done by inhibiting Lipase, an enzyme that is necessary for the absorption of fat. Lipase breaks down the fat to its smallest component so that your gut can absorb it and those darn fat cells can store it. Fat in the diet is a major cause of weight gain and by preventing the absorption of it, the hope is that you will lose weight. The reduction in fat absorption is not complete however. There is a reduction in fat absorption of about 30% which means that you can still absorb a large amount of the fat that you eat. If you continue to eat fatty food you will still gain the weight.

There is a secondary effect of the drug that helps reduce fat intake. If you eat fat with this drug you will get some quite unpleasant side effects including: Fatty/smelly stools, lose stools, faecal urgency, flatulence and incontinence. These side effects can be compared to having a bad diarrhoea illness. These side effects occur due to fat not being broken down and thereby reaching the large bowel. Eating less fat can prevent this. This drug will in effect teach you what you can and can't eat and thereby also preventing excessive fat intake.

In two study’s that have been performed people have lost up to 10 kg in a year, but as predicted once you stop the medication you gain the weight back again. This effect is similar to other weight loss drugs. The drug should therefor be used as an aid to weight loss. Of major importance is that you change your life style so that you have a sustained weight loss.

As with all new drugs all possible side effects have not been fully evaluated and therefor it's important to be careful.

In conclusion this drug is an exciting new development in weight loss, but as with so many other weight loss strategies it is not the final solution and should only be used as an adjunct to other weigh loss strategies and not the only solution.

References:
1. Sjostrom L Rissanen, A Andersen , T Boldrin, Golay, Koppeschaar, HFF er Al. Randomised placebo-controlled trial of orlistat for weight loss and prevention of weight regain in obese patients.

2. Davidson MH, Hauptman J, DiGirolamo M, Foreyt JP, Halsted CH, Heber D et Al. Weight control and risk factor reduction in obese subjdects treated for 2 years with orlistat. JAMA 1999;281:235-42