Orlistat

What is Orlistat?

Orlistat is a tablet you take with meals to reduce the amount of fat your body absorbs, helping you lose weight. To get the most out of Orlistat, you’ll take it alongside a reduced-fat, low-calorie diet (where you get around 30% of your daily calories from fat).

Who can use Orlistat?

Orlistat is approved to help people with a BMI equal to or greater than 30 (or 28 if you have a health risk or condition related to your weight) lose weight. But it’s not suitable for everyone to use. If any of the following apply to you, speak to your physician about your weight loss options before taking Orlistat:

• You have chronic malabsorption syndrome
• You have cholestasis (a liver disorder)
• You’re breastfeeding
• You’re taking medicine for other conditions (like high cholesterol or diabetes)

What are the benefits of Orlistat?

Unlike other popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound, Orlistat comes as a pill rather than an injection; so if you don’t like the idea of injecting yourself, Orlistat could be a good alternative.

Orlistat could also be a good option if you’re looking to build muscle alongside weight loss. Weight loss injections reduce your appetite to help you lose weight, which can make it difficult to eat enough to build muscle. While you’ll still have to eat a reduced-fat diet with Orlistat, it won’t affect your appetite.

How do Orlistat doses work?

Generic Orlistat tablets are only available in one dose: a 120 mg tablet. You’ll take a tablet up to three times a day, with each meal you eat that contains fat. There’s also a branded tablet called Alli, which contains a lower 60 mg dose of orlistat, that’s available as an over-the-counter medicine.

What is Orlistat’s active ingredient?

Orlistat is a generic medication that’s named after its active ingredient: orlistat. It’s sometimes referred to as a ‘fat binder’, because it stops your body from breaking down and absorbing as much fat from your food. But this is a bit of a misnomer, because orlistat targets enzymes responsible for breaking down fat in your digestive system, instead of the fat itself.

How does Orlistat work?

There’s an enzyme in your digestive system called lipase that breaks down and stores the fat from the food you eat as energy. Orlistat targets lipase and interferes with this process, stopping your body from storing as much fat. This excess fat is then excreted when you use the bathroom.^[1]

This is why eating a reduced-fat diet is really important when you’re taking Orlistat. If you eat too much fat while on Orlistat, there’s a good chance you’ll get unpleasant side effects, like:

• Passing oily or fatty stools
• Oily discharge
• More frequent bowel movements
• Suddenly needing to use the bathroom
• Wind
• Stomach pain or discomfort

How to take Orlistat

You’ll take Orlistat any time you eat a meal with fat in, up to three times a day. You can take your Orlistat capsule before, during, or up to an hour after your meal. For Orlistat to work properly, you should take it alongside a balanced, calorie-controlled diet, where you get no more than 30% of your daily calories from fat. You should try to spread out your fat intake across three meals, and avoid eating fatty foods or snacks in between meals.^[1]