• Xenical blocks some of the fat that you eat from being absorbed by your body.
• Xenical is used in the management of obesity including weight loss and weight maintenance when used with a reduced-calorie diet.
• Xenical may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
In clinical studies, people treated with XENICAL and a reduced-calorie diet with no more than 30% of calories from fat achieved significantly greater weight loss than people who were treated with diet alone.

The studies were designed with all participants eating a reduced-calorie diet for 4 weeks, followed by the diet plus XENICAL or the diet alone for 52 weeks. After 52 weeks, those taking XENICAL plus diet lost an average of twice as much weight as those who used the diet alone (approximately 13.4 lbs versus 5.8 lbs). Furthermore, 69.1% of patients receiving XENICAL lost 3% of their total body weight (an average of 13 lbs) after 3 months and 19 lbs after 1 year.

There is clear scientific evidence that if you are overweight, losing as little as 5% to 10% of your body weight can result in improved health. In studies of XENICAL, almost two-thirds of people treated with XENICAL plus diet successfully lost at least 5% of their body weight after 2 years. In comparison, only half of the people treated with diet alone managed to lose 5% of their weight.

Weight loss with XENICAL and a healthy diet also improves a number of weight-related health risks. Studies show that weight loss with XENICAL can:

Decrease total and LDL cholesterol (level of low-density lipoprotein-also known as bad cholesterol)
Improve ratio of bad to good cholesterol (LDL/HDL cholesterol)
Reduce blood pressure
Reduce levels of insulin (hormone that allows glucose or sugar to enter the body’s cells), high levels of which are associated with coronary heart disease
Reduce the risk or delay the progression to type 2 diabetes in patients
Note: The long-term benefits of orlistat on weight-related illnesses and life expectancy have not been studied.