A new study that used state of the art MRI technology reveals that taking alli while following a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet can lead to a significant reduction not only in weight but also in dangerous visceral fat. Visceral fat surrounds the vital organs in the abdomen and, in excess, increases the risk of life threatening diseases.
The research, carried out over three months at Europe’s largest imaging centre, illustrates the changes taking place inside someone’s body as they take alli. It reveals that overweight adults (BMI ³ 28 kg/m2) using alli in conjunction with a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet not only lost 5 per cent of their body weight, but importantly, 10 per cent of this dangerous visceral fat versus baseline. Results also showed that at week 12 alli significantly reduced waist circumference, the best practical marker for visceral fat.
These latest findings, when considered with existing data, suggest that alli plus diet not only helps people lose 50 per cent more weight than dieting alone, but also improves health.
Dr Rexford Newbould, GSK study investigator and scientist at the Clinical Imaging Centre in Hammersmith Hospital, UK said: “While it’s well-known that overall weight loss of 5-10 per cent is beneficial, what is not so well-known is that the health benefits occur because visceral fat, the fat stored deep within the abdomen, is lost. This new research shows that when people lose weight using orlistat 60 mg in conjunction with diet, they lose visceral fat.”
The real burden – visceral fat
Visceral fat is metabolically active fat which, in excess, can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, two of the leading causes of death worldwide. It is these health complications that have the biggest impact on the personal and public burden of the obesity epidemic.
Monica Abdilla, Country Manager Consumer Healthcare for GlaxoSmithKline, manufacturers of alli, says, “These results show that by losing weight with alli people can not only look better on the outside, they can be healthier on the inside too. We know that most people lose weight to look better on the outside, but losing excess fat on the inside is just as important.”
Waistline and cholesterol reductions
Not only has alli plus diet been shown to significantly reduce weight compared with dieting alone, but it also reduces waist size. Additional data presented today show that alli was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing waist size, with an average loss of 4.5 cm (1.8 inches), over 6 months of treatment. Levels of total and LDL cholesterol were also significantly lower in those people taking alli compared with placebo.
Professor Stephan Jacob, Endocrinologist & Diabetologist, Cardiometabolic Institute, Villingen Schwenningen, Germany said: “The size of your waistline is a good way to tell if you have excess visceral fat. People who have too much weight around their middle have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease than those who carry weight around the hips. Losing weight – and specifically visceral fat – can help reduce the likelihood of serious health problems.”
The MRI study follows a recent report launched by leading obesity experts, calling for greater public awareness of visceral fat. It included results from a European survey of over 12,000 people showed that 88 per cent of them do not know what visceral fat is but, after hearing about the associated risks, 61 per cent said they were more motivated to lose weight.