Research
Mixed
Orlistat 120 mg taken three times daily, when combined with behavioral interventions, significantly enhances weight loss maintenance compared to placebo.
If behavioral methods alone are insufficient for maintaining weight loss, adding Orlistat 120 mg three times daily can provide a small but significant additional benefit. This is superior to lower doses (30/60 mg). Be aware of increased gastrointestinal side effects.
WeakSupportsHIGH confidence
Orlistat in combination with behavioural interventions resulted in a −1.80 kg (−2.54 to −1.06; eight comparisons, 1738 participants) difference compared with placebo at 12 months.
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of RCTs.
Source
Long term maintenance of weight loss with non-surgical interventions in obese adults: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials
Stephan U Dombrowski et al. · BMJ · 2014
DOI 10.1136/bmj.g2646
Meta-analysis · 25 studiesCited 818×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
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