Much has been made from this announcement. Scare-monger Sidney Wolfe is calling this the “height of recklessness.” It mildly works – but I don’t anticipate this being the miracle weight-loss cure. Let’s look a bit closer at the drug – note the numbers below are for the prescription version (120mg). The OTC version (60mg) supposedly has 85% of the efficacy.

Efficacy
A meta-analysis shows about an 8-10 percent weight loss over the first year. About two-thirds of patients completed the first year of treatment.

LDL (bad cholesterol) decreased about 5 to 10 percent after 8 weeks.

Side effects
Fatty/oily stool, fecal urgency and oily spotting are the most common side effects, occurring in 15 to 30 percent of patients. They normally subside after the first few weeks of treatment.

There is a concern about the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, and E) with vitamin D most affected. A daily multivitamin is recommended if alli is started.

Despite Dr. Wolfe’s outcrys, I am not aware of definitive studies linking orlistat with colon cancer.