Fat drug prescriptions soar

One in five British adults is obese

The number of prescriptions for the anti-obesity drug Orlistat has rocketed in recent years, figures reveal.

According to the Department of Health, doctors wrote 541,400 prescriptions for Orlistat in 2002.

This is up almost a third on the previous year and up 300% on 1999, when the drug first came on the market.

The rise has been criticised not least because the drug is only supposed to be given to patients when diet and exercise fail.

Blocks fat

Orlistat is marketed in the UK as Xenical. The drug works by blocking the absorption of fat in the gut and should be taken as part of a low-fat diet.

If people taking it eat a fatty diet, they experience a bloated and painful stomach and oily diarrhoea.

The rise in prescriptions may be a reflection of the fact that the drug has now become widely accepted within the medical profession Professor Peter Kopelman

Patients given Xenical have been shown to lose an average of 10% in body weight over a year, compared with a 6% loss for those who only follow a low-fat diet.

Manufacturers Roche believe it may be suitable for around 15% of Britons.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence approved the drug for use in patients who are very obese two years ago.

The Royal College of Physicians of London recommends that the drug is only prescribed to patients if they have failed to lose weight through diet and exercise.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Paul Burstow criticised the sharp rise in prescriptions for the drug.

"Orlistat must only be used as a last resort rather than a cure all approach to obesity," he said.

Mr Burstow urged the government to draw up a "a coherent approach to tackling obesity".

"The epidemic of obesity that is spreading across the country is costing the lives of countless individuals and costing the NHS millions," he said.

"It is time the government adopted a cross cutting approach to tackling this lifestyle disease."

MPs are currently investigating the impact of obesity. The Commons health committee is expected to publish its report later this year.

At least one in five British adults is now clinically obese. Rates are also rising in children raising fears of a disease timebomb in the years ahead.

Obesity increases the risks of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Professor Peter Kopelman, chairman of the Royal College of Physician's nutrition committee, said there was no evidence to suggest Orlistat is not being prescribed properly.

"The rise in prescriptions may be a reflection of the fact that the drug has now become widely accepted within the medical profession and doctors are following guidance on using the drug," he told BBC News Online.