Myth:

Orlistat is a "diet drug without side effects".

Truth:

As a "diet drug" with advertisements flying all over the sky, orlistat claims to have "no side effects". Is this really the case?

what is orlistat

orlistat is an over-the-counter drug that only acts on the intestine and hardly enters the blood. It can inhibit intestinal lipase, making it difficult to decompose macromolecular fat in food, thus reducing the absorption of fat in the body and finally achieving the effect of reducing weight.

In this way, orlistat can indeed be called a traditional "diet medicine" to make people lose weight. According to statistics, it can inhibit about 1/3 of fat absorption, and has a certain effect on reducing body weight and blood lipid. In addition, orlistat has a positive effect on insulin resistance symptoms and blood pressure level. As a non-central anti-obesity drug, it only acts on the intestine and has little influence on the whole body, which is really the gospel of obese people.

side effects of orlistat

at first glance, orlistat is really attractive. But looking at a drug can't just look at the efficacy, but also look at the side effects. Orlistat is not a "no-side-effect diet drug" transmitted through the Internet. On the contrary, it has many side effects.

because orlistat inhibits the absorption of fat in food, most of the fat remains in chyme and is excreted with the intestine. Therefore, it can easily lead to symptoms such as increased stool frequency, soft stool, loose stool, fatty stool, abdominal pain, nausea and so on.

At the same time, the influence of orlistat on intestine, endocrine and metabolism should not be underestimated. Although orlistat does not enter the blood, some of it will still be absorbed. These components have certain effects on the liver and kidney. Liver injury is an important ADR (abbreviation ADR(Adverse Drug Reaction) of this drug. People with liver and kidney function problems should pay attention to and follow the doctor's advice. Moreover, patients who are allergic to any of the other ingredients in orlistat should not take it. If you are taking other drugs at the same time, you should also avoid the adverse reactions caused by drug interaction.

for some people, orlistat should not be used. Such as teenagers under the age of 18 and pregnant women, people suffering from chronic malabsorption syndrome or cholestasis, should be banned.

orlistat is carcinogenic, so you should buy and take it under the guidance of a doctor as much as possible!

can orlistat really lose weight "1 kg a week" and quickly?

For people with high carbohydrate intake, orlistat can't prevent the absorption of carbohydrates, so a lot of carbohydrates will continue to accumulate in the body and gradually turn into fat, and the symptoms of obesity can't be effectively alleviated.

For people with high fat intake, because orlistat inhibits the absorption of fat, taking drugs at first will make them "not full". The body will always feed back the signal of insufficient energy, so patients will eat more than before. Overall, the short-term results can not meet expectations. However, after long-term diet control and medication, orlistat can not only reduce weight, but also effectively reduce the visceral fat content of human body, indirectly improve metabolic disorder and reduce the risk of obesity. At the same time, research shows that the contents of cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein in blood are also significantly reduced, effectively alleviating the problems caused by high blood lipids. Strictly speaking, orlistat is not a "slimming drug" that can reduce weight after eating, but only reduces fat absorption.

On the other hand, because a large part of vitamins are fat-soluble, inhibiting fat absorption will also affect the absorption of these vitamins. For people who eat less vegetables and fruits, simply using orlistat will lead to vitamin deficiency and malnutrition.

summary

the efficacy of orlistat can only be said to be an auxiliary means to lose weight, not a decisive one. The online saying that "I lost 1 kilograms in 7 days" is exaggerated.

In addition, the specific use of orlistat should be judged according to the existing obesity situation. The drug is suitable for obese or overweight people, and some product instructions recommend it for patients with BMI greater than 24. Non-overweight people should not take this medicine instead of healthy weight loss methods such as exercise and diet control.

Even if you take orlistat, you need to ensure a balanced diet for three meals a day. Only by controlling your mouth, rejecting the delicious temptations such as cakes and milk tea, and eating low-calorie food can you really lose weight. In addition, we should also pay attention to the combination of diet control and exercise.

References:

Xian Mei, Li Xiangxia. Adverse reactions and safe application of orlistat [J]. adverse drug reactions journal, 27(3):36-39.

Li Lingou, Liu Dongfang. Research progress of clinical application and weight loss mechanism of orlistat [J]. Scientific consultation, 218. (6):51-52.

Huang Shijie. Because of the risk of cancer, the American Consumers Association requested orlistat to withdraw from the market [J]. Foreign Medicine: Pharmaceutical Volume, 26.

Notice of the State Food and Drug Administration on Amending the Instructions for Orlistat [21] No.359

Chen Xi, Liang Bing, Wang Yige, The effect of et al. orlistat on obesity with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its risk factors [J]. Journal of Clinical Hepatobiliary Diseases, 26,22 (2): 123-124.

Priscilla A. Holland, Steven C. Elbein, IRL B. Hirsch, Et al. Role of Orlistat in the Treatment of Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes [J]. Diabetes Care, 1998, 21(8) :1288-1294.

Effect of Orlistat on Weight and Body Composition in Obese Adolescents. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of a novel combination of Orlistat and acarbose on tolerance, appetitie, and glucose metabolism in persons with objectivity./doi/full/1.12/osp4.45

Producer of rumor-dispelling special team: Li Haipeng

Review expert: Liu Guiyang, chief pharmacist of the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital.