Because obesity increases your body's resistance to the insulin you produce, obesity is the leading cause of type 2 diabetes, the type that generally develops after age 40. Obesity can elevate your likelihood of developing certain types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, uterus and prostate. Your blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides may rise as your weight increases, raising your risk of heart disease, including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Obesity places greater stress on your joints, aggravating osteoarthritis. Sibutramine suppresses appetite by acting on serotonin, a chemical in your body that, among other things, affects appetite.
Weight loss associated with sibutramine is generally modest.
Sibutramine causes a small increase in average blood pressure. But in some people, the blood pressure increase is more pronounced. Orlistat works by inhibiting the action of the enzyme lipase in your intestinal tract. Lipase breaks down dietary fat so that your body can absorb it. Orlistat can block absorption of up to 30 percent of dietary fat.