Research

Energy balance

Two-year treatment with orlistat (120 mg three times daily) combined with a controlled-energy diet produces significantly greater sustained weight loss and reduces weight regain compared to placebo plus diet in obese adults.

To sustain weight loss over two years, obese individuals should take 120 mg of orlistat with each of their three main meals while following a controlled-energy diet where 30% of calories come from fat. This combination leads to significantly greater weight loss and less weight regain compared to diet and placebo alone. Be prepared for potential gastrointestinal side effects if fat intake is not strictly managed, as these are expected but usually mild and resolve over time.

StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
Two-year treatment with orlistat plus diet significantly promotes weight loss, lessens weight regain, and improves some obesity-related disease risk factors.
Michael Davidson et al. · JAMA · 1999

Why this rating

Large-scale (n=880 intent-to-treat), randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 2-year duration.

Source

Weight Control and Risk Factor Reduction in Obese Subjects Treated for 2 Years With Orlistat

Michael Davidson et al. · JAMA · 1999

DOI 10.1001/jama.281.3.235

rct · n=1187Cited 944×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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