How Does Xenical Work?

In clinical studies, people treated with Xenical and a reduced-calorie diet with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat achieved significantly greater weight loss than people who were treated with diet alone.

All participants eating a reduced-calorie diet for 4 weeks, followed by the diet plus Xenical or the diet alone for 52 weeks. After 52 weeks, those taking Xenical plus diet lost an average of twice as much weight as those who used the diet alone.

There is clear scientific evidence that if you are overweight, losing as little as 5 percent to 10 percent of your body weight can result in improved health. In studies of Xenical, almost two-thirds of people treated with Xenical plus diet successfully lost at least 5 percent of their body weight after 2 years.

Unlike other weight-loss drugs you may have heard about that act in the brain or central nervous system to suppress appetite or to speed up metabolism, Xenical works in your digestive system to block about one-third of the fat in the food you eat from being digested. Enzymes in your digestive system, called lipases, help digest fat. When taken with meals, Xenical attaches to the lipases and blocks those from breaking down some of the fat you have eaten. The undigested fat cannot be absorbed and is eliminated in your bowel movements. By working this way, Xenical helps block about one-third of the fat in the foods you eat from being absorbed by your body.

Xenical interferes with your body's absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins. Therefore, when you use Xenical, you should take a daily multivitamin supplement that contains vitamins D, E, and K and beta carotene.

Weight loss with Xenical and a healthy diet also improves a number of weight-related health risks. Studies show that weight loss with Xenical can decrease total and LDL cholesterol, the level of low-density lipoprotein-also known as bad cholesterol and improve ratio of bad to good cholesterol (LDL/HDL cholesterol). Weight loss can also reduce blood pressure and reduce levels of insulin as well as reduce the risk or delay the progression to type two diabetes in patients. It is important to note that the long-term benefits of orlistat on weight-related illnesses and life expectancy have not been studied.

In clinical studies, people treated with Xenical and a reduced-calorie diet with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat achieved significantly greater weight loss than people who were treated with diet alone.