Orlistat capsules for weight loss

How orlistat works

Orlistat inhibits the enzyme lipase in your gut, so roughly 30% of dietary fat passes through undigested. No appetite hormones are involved, the effect is mechanical, local to the gut, and depends entirely on what you eat.

Realistic results

In trials, orlistat produced about 5 to 10% loss over a year, a few percentage points ahead of diet and exercise alone. That is modest next to GLP-1 medicines, but clinically meaningful, particularly for blood pressure and cholesterol.

The plain side effect picture

Because unabsorbed fat stays in the gut, the classic effects are oily stools, urgency and wind, especially after fatty meals. They are manageable by keeping fat intake moderate, which is itself part of how the medicine changes behaviour. Unlike GLP-1s, orlistat carries no pancreatitis or thyroid warnings.

Who it suits

• People who cannot use GLP-1 medicines for medical reasons.
• People who prefer a non-hormonal, non-appetite approach.
• People for whom cost is the primary constraint, orlistat is the least expensive licensed option.

A multivitamin at bedtime is standard advice, as fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) absorb less well alongside orlistat.