To a certain extend we already know the answers to these questions since this is not a new drug at all but is one that has been in wide use in the United States for several years. The drug, called Orlistat, is in actuality simply a half-dose version of the present prescription drug sold as Xenical.

The usual 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 a range of drugs including Xenical. As a final solution, if this proves unsuccessful, individuals may be offered morbid obesity surgery as the ultimate weight loss solution. This brief examination of the background to treating morbid obesity provides us with an indication of precisely how this diet pill is designed to be used.

No matter what people may wish this is certainly not a case of taking a pill once a day and magically losing weight. Orlistat works in part by inhibiting the absorption of fat and is most efficient when taken three times each day with meals containing approximately fifteen grams of fat. If taken will meals containing in excess of fifteen grams of fat then taking Orlistat may produce bowel problems.

The use of Orlistat can also hamper the absorption of some vitamins and users need to take daily multivitamin supplements. This drug is not advised for people who are taking any form of blood thinning agent or who are being treated for thyroid problems or diabetes.

In the absence of an accompanying program of diet and exercise Orlistat will have very little if any affect at all and you are only likely to derive benefit from taking it when also following a strict program of diet and exercise. Nonetheless, even with diet and exercise results are likely to be minor and a lot of people question whether the results (which are based upon the known results experienced with Xenical) make using Orlistat a useful operation.

Possibly one additional question which we ought to ask is just why the FDA has approved this drug for over-the-counter use at this time. Obesity rates are rising at epidemic proportions and there is considerable pressure to find a solution to this problem before it runs out of control. A lot of people contend that the approval of Orlistat is nothing more than the FDA bowing to public pressure.

Should Orlistat turn out to be of very little if any use at all it could in reality do greater harm than good as people who are suffering from obesity turn the Orlistat as the answer to their problem and away from the need for a strict program of diet and exercise.