In an age of medical break-through, can modern medicine play a role in the battle against today’s obesity epidemic? Xenical has traditionally been a prescription only capsule prescribed to obese patients, and recently, the FDA gave the thumbs up to an over the counter version – Alli. Both products contain the active ingredient Orlistat, a lipase inhibitor that helps prevent fat being absorbed into the body.
Is Xenical safe?
When taken at meal times, Orlistat reduces the amount of fat that is broken down in the stomach and absorbed into the body by about 30%. Instead, fats are expelled naturally in faces, thus helping towards weight loss.
Xenical sounds ideal for those of us who struggle to keep to a healthy diet. However, the active ingredient, Orlistat, is usually only prescribed to obese people with a body mass index in excess of 30kg/m