Orlistat :: Obesity Science Pills Papers

Orlistat In today's world, people are turning more and more to the use of Pharmaceuticals to solve their problems or to improve their health. Drugs are beingused to treat everything from hair loss to impotency. There is a new pill being developed todayto treat the problems that people face due to obesity. Orlistat, which goes by the brand name Xenical, was invented and developed by Hoffman-La Roche Inc. Headquartered in Nutley, NJ, Hoffman-La Roche is an affiliate of the company known as Roche of Basel, Switzerland. This company wants to remind us that obesity is not just a cosmetic concern anymore but is associated with a risk for other life-threatening diseases. Many people are realizing this fact now and wish to do something about their weight problems before it becomes too late. The new pill is being advertised on television, magazines, newspapers, anthe Internet as a wonder drug that helps people take off the pounds and keep them off. Heart Information groupsalso claim that the drug reduces obesity-related risk factors, such as heartdisease, stroke, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and insulin levels. Orlistat claims to be a replacement for the diet drug Fen-phen, which was linked to heart valve damage. One man who took part in the longest and largest study ever done with this drug says, "In my adult life, I've always been 20 to 40 pounds overweight. It has always been a problem for me." He was able to drop 21 pounds and keep them off for two years by using orlistat along with maintaining a healthy diet. One can find numerous testimonies such as this one in magazines or on the world wide web. But just how effective is this drug and is it safe for those who use it? The appeal of orlistat to people who wish to use it is that is a new and safe approach to managing obesity. The safety of the drug is its most attractive feature because it is not absorbed into the body. Instead of reducing appetite as most diet drugs do, orlistat works as a lipase inhibitor, which means that it blocks intestinal absorption of fat by locking onto the enzyme in the gut that allows fat to pass across the intestinal wall. Only the fat is blocked, allowing proteins and carbohydrates to be absorbed.