Fat Loss Mechanism
Orlistat is a drug that promotes loss of weight by preventing the digestion and absorption of fat in food. In the intestine, an enzyme called lipase (produced primarily by the pancreas) breaks
apart fat in food so that it can be absorbed into the body. Orlistat blocks the action of lipase and thereby prevents the breakup and absorption of fat. Orlistat blocks absorption of about 25% of
the fat in a meal. The unabsorbed fat is excreted in the stool.
This medication is used along with a doctor-approved reduced-calorie diet, exercise, and behavior modification program to help significantly overweight (obese) persons lose weight. Taking
orlistat can also help prevent you from regaining the weight you have lost. Losing weight and keeping it off can reduce the many health risks that obesity causes, including heart disease,
diabetes, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer, certain breathing problems, and a shorter life span.
Dietary fats need to be broken down into smaller pieces before the body can absorb them. Orlistat works by blocking the enzyme that breaks down fats in your diet. This undigested fat then passes
out of your body in your bowel movement. Orlistat does not block the absorption of calories from sugar and other non-fat foods, so you still need to restrict your total intake of calories.
Fat Loss Effect
Orlistat is used for the treatment of obesity. The amount of weight loss achieved with orlistat varies. In one-year clinical trials, between 35.5% and 54.8% of subjects achieved a 5% or greater
decrease in body mass, although not all of this mass was necessarily fat. Between 16.4% and 24.8% achieved at least a 10% decrease in body fat.After orlistat was stopped, a significant number of
subjects regained weight-up to 35% of the weight they had lost.
The incidence of type 2 diabetes in an obese population over four years is decreased with orlistat (6.2%) compared to placebo (9.0%).Long-term use of orlistat also leads to a modest reduction in
blood pressure (mean reductions of 2.5 and 1.9 mmHg in systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively).
Orlistat Dosage
Orlistat is usually taken 3 times a day during every meal containing fat. The average dosage is a 120mg per day. Due to the fact that Xenical may decrease the absorption of vitamins and it is
useful to take a multivitamin once a day at bedtime. While taking this drug bodybuilders and athletes should follow their diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.