Patient Information

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics

Dietary advice for patients taking orlistat
Being overweight is associated with certain health problems, such as heart
disease, osteoarthritis and some cancers. The best way to lose weight is to
eat a healthy diet and to keep active.
Orlistat (Xenical) is a drug that can help with weight loss. Research has
shown that taking this medication along with eating a healthy diet and
keeping active can help with losing weight.

How does orlistat work?

Orlistat works by reducing the absorption of fat from your food, this means
that a third of the fat from your food will pass through your body in your
stools.

Side-effects
It is recommended that you avoid foods high in fat as this can increase the
chances of you experiencing side effects.
Side effects include wind, diarrhoea and smelly stools and an urgency to
pass stools.
It can be usual to have some side effects but these usually get better with
time and by following a low fat diet.

Important notes
You must achieve a weight loss of 5% within 3 months of being on orlistat
otherwise the treatment may be stopped.

Dose
It is recommended that you take 1 tablet (120mg) three times per day. The
tablet should be taken immediately before, during or up to 1 hour after a
meal. If a meal is missed do not take the tablet.
Patient Information

Foods Allowed High Fat Foods to Avoid

Meat/Alternatives Meat
Lean meat, soya, tofu All visible fat on meat.
Quorn Skin on meat, crackling
Fatty meat e.g. sausages, black
pudding, luncheon meat, belly pork,
faggots, pork pie, salami, duck, goose,
pate, sausage rolls, pasties.
Fried meat

Fish Fish
White fish such as cod, plaice. Oily fish canned in oil e.g. kippers,
pilchards, sardines, tuna.
Fried fish. (Fish in batter or
breadcrumbs).

Eggs Eggs
Egg white. Fried eggs.
1 boiled or poached egg or Scotch eggs
scrambled with no fat (Some people can be sensitive to
eggs)

Dairy Produce Dairy Produce

Skimmed milk. Whole milk.
Semi-skimmed milk Cream, cream alternatives,
Low fat soya ,coconut, rice or oat evaporated milk, ice cream
milk Coffee Mate, Coffee Compliment,
Fromage Frais, 'diet', 'light' and Instant dried milk powders with non
low fat yoghurts. milk fat

Skimmed milk powder, Coffee Thick and creamy yoghurt, Greek

Mate Light yogurt unless low fat. Crème Frais
unless low fat

Cheese Cheese
 Cottage cheese Full fat cheese, cream cheese
 Low fat cheese spreads e.g.
Laughing Cow Extra Light,

Eating Well on a Low Fat Diet www.uhcw.nhs.uk 2

Patient Information
Foods Allowed
Fats
low fat spread in small amounts
spray oil ( one cal or similar)
Fruit and vegetables
Fruit - fresh, stewed, tinned or
dried Vegetables - fresh, frozen,
tinned or dried Baked beans,
pulse vegetables
Boiled, mashed or jacket potatoes
(without margarine or butter),
Small portion of reduced fat oven
chips.
Beverages
Tea, coffee, fruit juices, squashes
and minerals.
Malted drinks, drinking chocolate,
cocoa only if made with skimmed
semi-skimmed milk or Low fat
malted milk drinks and hot
chocolate made with water
Cereals & biscuits
Bread,
Crispbreads
Rice, pasta, breakfast cereals,
flour, and chapattis (made without
fat).
Eating Well on a Low Fat Diet
High Fat Foods to Avoid
Fats
Lard, suet, dripping, vegetable oils,
butter or margarine.
All fried foods.
Fruit and vegetables
Avocado pears, olives and nuts.
Chips, roast potatoes and crisps
(including reduced fat crisps).
Oven chips.
Potato waffles
Fried vegetables
Beverages
Full fat milk drinks e.g. cocoa,
chocolate or malted drinks, including
instant malted milk drinks and hot
chocolate
Advocat and cream liqueurs
Cereals & biscuits
Pastry, shortbread, cakes, sponge
puddings, biscuits, Cereal bars with
nuts or chocolate.
Batters, Yorkshire puddings,
dumplings, fried bread, fried rice.
Chapattis fried in fat, naan bread,
samosas, pakoras
www.uhcw.nhs.uk 3
Patient Information

Miscellaneous
Vinegar, herbs, spices, salt,
pepper, ketchup, pickles, fat free-
salad dressings
Fruit juice, fruit squash and fizzy
drinks.
Miscellaneous
Toffee, fudge, chocolate, lemon curd,
peanut butter, mince meat, marzipan
Take away meals.
Cream soups, sauces and gravies
made with excess butter or margarine.
Mayonnaise, salad cream, salad
dressings
Indian sweets made with condensed
milk.
Fried Indian foods such as samosa,
pakora, paratha, chevda.
Nuts

Food labels
When reading food labels look at the ‘total fat’ and the ‘per 100g’ column
and pick foods that have less than 5g

Nutrition

Typical values 100g Each portion

contains 44g contains

Energy 985KJ 435KJ

235Kcal 105kcal

Fat 1.5g 0.7g

Of which 0.3g 0.1g
saturates

Carbohydrate 45.5g 20g

Of which sugars 3.8g 1.7g

Fibre 2.8g 1.2g

Protein 7.7g 3.4g

Salt 1.0g 0.4g

Eating Well on a Low Fat Diet www.uhcw.nhs.uk 4

Patient Information

Further Information
This leaflet was produced by Coventry Dietitians, University Hospitals
Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust. For more information or if you would
like to contact the team, please call them on: 024 7696 6161

The Trust has access to interpreting and translation services. If you need
this information in another language or format please contact 024 7696
6161 and we will do our best to meet your needs.
The Trust operates a smoke free policy.

Document History
Department: Dietetics
Contact: Ext 26161
Updated: February 2020
Review: February 2022
Version: 6.1
Reference: HIC/LFT/468/07

Eating Well on a Low Fat Diet www.uhcw.nhs.uk 5