Orlistat before and after Orlistat (brand name: alli) is the only OTC medication that is FDA approved for weight loss in conjunction with reduced calorie intake. Is indicated for overweight adults aged 18 years or older in conjunction with a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet.
Orlistat does not act systemically; instead, it exerts its therapeutic activity in the lumen of the stomach and small intestine by inhibiting gastric and pancreatic lipases that hydrolyze triglycerides into free fatty acids and monoglycerides. This restricts the intestine’ s ability to absorb triglycerides, which are excreted fecally instead, thus inhibiting absorption of dietary fats by approximately 30%.
In a 16-week randomized, controlled study, orlistat 60 mg resulted in significant weight loss compared with placebo (3.05 kg vs. 1.9 kg; P <.001) in mildly to moderately overweight adults.16 Another study evaluated the ability of orlistat 60 mg to produce a change in visceral adipose tissue in overweight patients.17 After 24 weeks, orlistat demonstrated a significant decrease in visceral adipose tissue versus placebo ( â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 15.7% vs. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9.4%; P <.05). In addition, there was a trend toward a greater reduction in liver fat (which is independently linked to dyslipidemia and insulin resistance)