To some extend we already have the answers to these questions because this is not a new drug but is one which has been widely used in the United States for several years. The drug, which is known as Orlistat, is in truth merely a half-dose version of the current prescription drug marketed as Xenical.

The traditional route to weight loss for obesity sufferers is for doctors to start by recommending a course of diet and exercise and, if this is not successful, to move on to help dieters with a variety of drugs including Xenical. In the end, if this proves unsuccessful, patients might be offered morbid obesity surgery as the ultimate weight loss solution. This brief examination of the background to treating morbid obesity gives an indication of exactly how this new obesity pill is to be used.

Regardless of what individuals might wish this is certainly not a case of simply taking a pill daily and magically watching the weight fall off. Orlistat works by partially stopping the absorption of fat and is most efficient when it is taken three times a day with meals which contain approximately fifteen grams of fat. If it is taken will meals which contain in excess of the recommended fifteen grams of fat then taking Orlistat could result in bowel problems.

Use of Orlistat might also interfere with the absorption of some vitamins and users have to take daily multivitamin tablets. Orlistat is not recommended for individuals who are taking any sort of blood thinning agent or who are being treated for diabetes or thyroid problems.

Without an accompanying diet and exercise plan Orlistat will have very little if any affect and you are only going to get benefit from using it alongside a strict diet and exercise plan. Nonetheless, even with diet and exercise the results are likely to be minor and many people question whether the results (based upon the known results from Xenical) make taking Orlistat a sensible operation.

Perhaps one additional question we ought to ask is exactly why the FDA has chosen to approve this drug for over-the-counter use now. Obesity rates are now increasing at epidemic proportions and we are seeing considerable pressure to find an answer to this problem before it runs out of control. A lot of people believe that the licensing of Orlistat for over-the-counter use is little more than the FDA's reaction to public pressure.

If Orlistat turns out to be of very little if any use it could in reality do greater harm than good as individuals who are suffering from obesity turn their attention towards the drug as the solution to their problem and away from the need to set themselves a strict plan of diet and exercise.