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Although the anti-obesity drug Xenical (Orlistat) is only
supposed to be prescribed when diet and exercise fail, prescriptions
in the U.K. have increased some 300 percent from 1999 when
the drug first appeared on the market.
The drug works by blocking the absorption of fat in the gut
and is meant to be taken as part of a low-fat diet.
In the U.K., the prevalence of obesity is increasing in both
adults and children. Some attribute the increase in Xenical
prescriptions to its widespread acceptance among the medical
community.
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