[The role of orlistat in the treatment of obesity].

The overweight and obesity represent severe problems for the health management system of developed countries. In the evolution of obesity, beside genetic background, the environmental factors also play important roles. In the daily routine, the majority of obese patients need drug treatment, over the diet and physical activity. Among the available medicines the inhibitors of monoamine re-uptake causes dry mouth, tachycardia, sleeplessness and elevated blood pressure, therefore, due to the frequently associated obesity and hypertension many physicians avoid using these compounds. The orlistat as a selective inhibitor of pancreatic and enteral lipase enzymes impedes the absorption of the highest calorie containing nutrients, the fats exerting beneficial effects in the treatment of obesity. The abdominal bloating and diarrhea as side effects of the drug may act as an advantage in many cases, since these happen especially in those cases when the patient neglects the previously suggested low fat diet and therefore the drug induced diarrhea and bloating may mean a feed-back for the patient in respect of the proper diet. Recent studies show many beneficial biochemical changes in obesity related pathological metabolic processes during the administration of orlistat. The authors, in their present work review in short the role of orlistat in the treatment of slimming cure.