An over-the-counter diet pill that is designed for adults suffering from obesity has at long last been approved by the FDA. But will this new pill work and will it be the answer for the many thousands of obesity sufferers who find that losing weight is tremendously difficult?
To a certain degree we already have the answers to these questions as this is not a new drug at all but is one that has been widely used in the US for several years. The drug, which is known as Orlistat, is in truth nothing more than a half-dose version of the present prescription drug sold under the name of Xenical.
The normal route to weight loss in cases of obesity is for doctors to begin by recommending a period of diet and exercise and, if this is not successful, to move on to help sufferes with drugs like Xenical. As a final solution, if this does not do the trick, patients might be offered gastric bypass surgery as the ultimate solution to their weight problem. This insight into the background to treating morbid obesity gives an idea of precisely how this diet pill is to be used.
No matter what individuals may want this is most definitely not a matter of taking a pill every day and miraculously watching the pounds drop off. Orlistat works in part by stopping the absorption of fat that is eaten and is at its most efficient when taken three times each day with meals that contain in the region of fifteen grams of fat. If taken will meals that contain in excess of fifteen grams of fat then taking Orlistat can lead to bowel problems.
Using Orlistat might also hinder the absorption of some vitamins and users ought to take daily multivitamin tablets. Orlistat is not recommended for people taking any form of blood thinning medication or being treated for thyroid problems or diabetes.
Without an accompanying diet and exercise program Orlistat will have little if any affect at all and you will only receive any benefit from taking it when also following a strict diet and exercise program. Nevertheless, even with diet and exercise the weight loss is likely to be marginal and many individuals question whether the likely results (which are predicted from the known results documented from the use of Xenical) make the use of Orlistat worthwhile.
Possibly one further question which we should ask is just why the FDA has chosen to approve the over-the-counter use of this drug at this time. Obesity rates are growing at epidemic proportions and there is considerable pressure to find an answer to this problem before it runs literally out of control. A lot of people would argue that the approval of Orlistat is little more than the FDA's reaction to public pressure.
Should Orlistat prove to be of little if any use at all it might actually do greater harm than good as people suffering from obesity turn their attention towards the drug as the answer to their problem and ignore the need for a strict diet and exercise program.
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