Success With XENICAL

Have you tried dieting, exercise and support groups, but found they never seem to work? Did you lose weight only to quickly gain it back? Your doctor will want to know these things before prescribing a medicine, to make sure that you've considered your options seriously and that your request for XENICAL isn't a hasty one.

XENICAL is a prescription medication, not a magic pill that simply melts pounds away. The nice part about the XENICAL program is that it doesn't involve a complicated diet. In fact, the reduced-calorie diet with no more than 30% calories from fat is the same one recommended by the American Heart Association for all Americans.

Keeping to a diet with no more than 30% calories from fat can be challenging for some people, especially if you enjoy things like fried foods and ice cream. If you can stay on the recommended diet, you will be on your way to achieving your weight-loss goals!

XENICAL may be right for you if you have a Body Mass Index of 30 or greater, or have a BMI of 27 or greater and have other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes. Click here to calculate your BMI and find out if you might be a candidate for XENICAL.

XENICAL At Work

If you eat an excessive amount of fat or calories, the excess is stored as fat by the body, resulting in weight gain. When you eat fat, your body breaks it down into its simplest components so that it can be digested.

Unlike other weight-loss drugs you may have heard about that act in the brain or central nervous system to suppress appetite or to speed up metabolism, XENICAL works in your digestive system to block about one-third of the fat in the food you eat from being digested.

Enzymes in your digestive system, called lipases, help digest (or break down) fat. When taken with meals, XENICAL attaches to the lipases and blocks them from breaking down some of the fat you have eaten.

The undigested fat cannot be absorbed and is eliminated in your bowel movements. By working this way, XENICAL helps block about one-third of the fat in the foods you eat from being absorbed by your body.

Taking XENICAL

The recommended dose is one 120-mg capsule by mouth with liquid at each main meal that contains fat. You should take XENICAL up to three times a day in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet. Each time you take XENICAL, your nutritionally balanced meal should contain no more than about 30% of calories from fat. You should evenly divide your daily intake of fat, carbohydrates and protein over three main meals. Take XENICAL during meals or up to 1 hour after a meal. If you occasionally miss a meal or have a meal without fat, you can omit your dose of XENICAL. Doses above 120-mg three times daily have not been shown to provide an additional weight-loss benefit.

You should try to follow a healthy eating plan, such as the one developed by the American Heart Association. Following this eating plan will help you lose weight while decreasing some of the possible gastrointestinal effects you may experience while taking XENICAL.

XENICAL interferes with your body's absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins. Therefore, when you use XENICAL, you should take a daily multivitamin supplement that contains vitamins D, E, and K and beta carotene. Take your multivitamin once a day at least 2 hours before or after taking XENICAL, such as at bedtime.

To find out more about taking XENICAL properly, talk with your doctor.

How Do I Get XENICAL?

Before your doctor can prescribe XENICAL, he or she will need to determine if this weight-loss approach is right for you. To do this, your doctor will need to review your medical history and evaluate your level of commitment.

It is very important to talk to your doctor if you're considering using XENICAL as part of a weight-loss program. Your doctor will help you:

• Set realistic goals for weight loss

• Determine the right caloric level for your well-balanced, reduced-calorie diet that contains no more than 30% of calories from fat at each main meal

• Understand how to take XENICAL properly and why taking a multivitamin is so important