Name one FDA-approved pharmacologic therapy for weight loss in postmenopausal women.

Name one FDA-approved pharmacologic therapy for weight loss in postmenopausal women.

• A. Orlistat
• B. Metformin
• C. Estradiol
• D. Vitamin C

Answer: (A)

Orlistat is the FDA-approved option for pharmacologic weight management in adults, including postmenopausal women. It works by inhibiting pancreatic lipase in the gut, which reduces the digestion and absorption of dietary fat. Because less fat is absorbed, overall calorie intake drops, helping weight loss when you combine it with a reduced-calorie diet and regular physical activity. Counseling points matter: take orlistat with meals that contain fat; if a meal has no fat, skip the dose. Common side effects are GI in nature—oily stools or flatulence with discharge—often linked to the fat content of meals. Because fat absorption is decreased, there’s a higher chance of fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies, so consider taking a multivitamin at a different time than orlistat. The other options aren’t FDA-approved for weight loss: metformin is used for diabetes (and may influence weight modestly in some people), estradiol is hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, and vitamin C is a vitamin supplement without proven weight-loss effect.

Orlistat is the FDA-approved option for pharmacologic weight management in adults, including postmenopausal women. It works by inhibiting pancreatic lipase in the gut, which reduces the digestion and absorption of dietary fat. Because less fat is absorbed, overall calorie intake drops, helping weight loss when you combine it with a reduced-calorie diet and regular physical activity.

Counseling points matter: take orlistat with meals that contain fat; if a meal has no fat, skip the dose. Common side effects are GI in nature—oily stools or flatulence with discharge—often linked to the fat content of meals. Because fat absorption is decreased, there’s a higher chance of fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies, so consider taking a multivitamin at a different time than orlistat.

The other options aren’t FDA-approved for weight loss: metformin is used for diabetes (and may influence weight modestly in some people), estradiol is hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, and vitamin C is a vitamin supplement without proven weight-loss effect.