Dietary advice for orlistat

Why does my child need Orlistat?

Eating a healthy diet that is low in calories (energy), and staying active is the best way to lose weight.

Orlistat is a medication that can help someone lose more weight than if they follow healthy eating and activity advice alone. It is still important to follow the advice from your child’s medical team about food, drink, activity, sleep and screen time, as these are the most important aspects of leading a healthy lifestyle for your child and family.

How does Orlistat work?

Orlistat stops your body absorbing around 30 percent of the fat in food. This means that your body does not get all of the energy from the food. The body still absorbs all the energy found in protein and carbohydrates.

Are there any side effects from taking Orlistat?

While taking Orlistat, eating foods high in fat can lead to unpleasant side effects. The fat not absorbed remains in the gut before passing out in your poo.

This can cause tummy ache and unpleasant wind. It can also lead to a type of diarrhoea called steatorrhoea. This can be bright yellow in colour, be very smelly, look oily, float on the surface of the water in the toilet and be difficult to flush away. These symptoms can come on suddenly which means your child has to find a toilet quickly so they do not have an accident.

These side effects can all be avoided or minimised if you follow a low-fat healthy meal pattern.

How do I give my child Orlistat?

Orlistat is a tablet. The normal dose is:

For children aged 12 and under: 60mgs 3 times a day.

For children over the age of 12: 120mgs 3 times each day.

This is taken before, during, or up to an hour after meals.

If your child’s meal does not contain any fat, or if they miss a meal, they do not need to take the dose that time.

Does Orlistat stop someone absorbing anything other than fat?

As Orlistat stops absorption of some fat in food, it also can affect the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. These are vitamins A, D, E and K.

This can be any over-the-counter brand that is suitable for your child’s age.

Orlistat can also affect some medications. Please ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about this.

Does my child need to follow a special diet while taking Orlistat?

While taking Orlistat your child should follow a low-fat diet that contains foods from all sections of the Eat Well Guide, and provides no more than 30 percent of energy from fat.

This is the same as standard healthy eating guidelines.

The tables below help you to choose which foods are best for your child.

Choosing  foods in the left-hand side of the table most of the time should avoid side effects.

For foods listed as moderate, keep portion sizes to those recommended by the weight management team and limit to one moderate fat food at each meal.

Some people may be more sensitive to Orlistat than other people so there may be some foods listed as moderate fat that cause side effects for your child.

Top tips for healthy eating on Orlistat:

• Eat 3 meals daily
• Cut down on portion sizes by using a smaller plate
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fill half the plate with vegetables or salad
• Check food labels and choose those labelled as low fat
• Avoid all fried foods (deep or shallow fried). Use a non-stick pan for cooking. Limit oil or spreads to a maximum of 1 teaspoon at a meal and monitor side effects. Healthy fats such as olive oil or rapeseed oil contain the same amount of fat as other types of fat and oil and so should also be limited
• Trim the fat and skin from meat. Choose white meat where possible. Meat alternatives such as Quorn are also good low fat options
• Choose reduced fat dairy options

What can my child eat on Orlistat?

Example meal plan

Breakfast

Porridge made with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk or milk alternative, topped with a tablespoon of dried fruit. Glass of water to drink.

Mid-morning

Piece of fruit with a glass of water.

Lunch

Sandwich made with wholegrain bread, filled with ham, lettuce and cucumber. Piece of fruit, and a low-fat natural yoghurt. Glass of no-added-sugar squash.

Mid-afternoon

Slice of malt loaf, and a glass of water.

Evening meal

Stir-fry made with boiled rice or noodles, chicken or meat alternative, and vegetables, or

Wholemeal pasta with sauce made from onion, pepper, mushrooms, dried herbs, tinned tomatoes and tuna, or

Baked potato with baked beans and frozen mixed vegetables, and a piece of fruit.

Summary

• Eat 3 meals daily
• Take Orlistat before, during or up to an hour after meals
• Take an over-the-counter age-appropriate multivitamin that contains vitamins A, D, E and K, once a day in between meals.
• Follow a low-fat diet to avoid side effects. Avoid fried foods, foods in pastry or batter, full-fat dairy, cakes, biscuits, cakes, crisps and processed meats.
• Choose foods labelled as low-fat most often.