How does Orlistat work?
In the stomach and small intestine, you’ll find enzymes, a catalyst that causes a particular biochemical reaction to happen. One such enzyme is called lipase. One of its jobs is to take the fat found in food and help store it as energy. Orlistat works by preventing the lipase enzyme from fulfilling this job. This means certain fats don’t get stored, but are instead excreted when you go to the toilet.
Orlistat, Alli and Xenical are sometimes referred to as ‘fat binders’, but this isn't a technically accurate way of describing how they work. Instead of binding to fat itself, the active ingredient orlistat attaches itself to the enzymes that are responsible for breaking fats down. This stops them from being absorbed by the digestive system.
Is Orlistat effective?
Most studies say that Orlistat is a safe and effective weight loss treatment if it’s taken as part of a plan that includes dieting and regular exercise.
Compared to placebos, there’s evidence that Orlistat is very effective and that it’s well tolerated. In some studies, it has been shown to help reduce body weight by 10% within six months. While different people react to treatments in different ways, Orlistat’s effectiveness and low risk of side effects means you can have some peace of mind when you’re using it.
How long before I lose weight on Orlistat?
So if you take Orlistat as part of a weight loss plan that includes diet and exercise, you may find that you lose up to 10% of your weight over six months. But the fact is, everyone is different, so there are no guarantees that it will happen in this timeframe.
If you haven’t noticed any changes in weight after several months of using it, alongside making changes to your diet and getting exercise, drop us a message and we can speak to you about alternative treatments.