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Fat blocker drugs
Is there a drug that actually helps you lose weight and body fat?
Last year the introduction of Orlistat, a ‘fat-blocking, anti-obesity' drug by Hoffman-LaRoche, was greeted with enthusiasm by many members of the public. These people continue to hope, understandably, that modern science will soon provide the technology to make losing fat easier than undertaking a major lifestyle change. But if you read the reports more carefully, you might want to think twice before running out and searching for a doctor who will prescribe it.
Orlistat, which is sold under the trade name Xenical, works in the gastrointestinal tract by blocking the action of a fat-digesting enzyme. This means about one-third of the fat you eat, instead of being digested, will accumulate in the intestines and be excreted.
Now that you know how it works, the first problem with using Orlistat (Xenical) for fat reduction should be apparent: it does nothing to the fat you've already accumulated. Orlistat works only on ‘incoming’ fat in the diet and prevents only a percentage of it from going to your hips. At best, it would decrease slightly the consequences of continuous bad eating.
But even this is not 100 per cent clear — nor does it come without a price.
For one thing, by blocking the absorption of fat, the drug also interferes with the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K as well as beta-carotene, all of which are fat-soluble. For another, Orlistat is known for producing side effects such as flatulence, bloating and, most famously, what is referred to as ‘anal leakage’.
Right.
Even so, some people might think it's worth the price. After all, what's a little embarrassing bathroom behaviour compared to the ability to lose those last couple of inches, once and for all?
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