Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of six to 12 months duration evaluating the effectiveness of orlistat (120 mg three times a day) or sibutramine (10, 15 or 20 mg/day) for weight loss in overweight or obese participants were eligible for inclusion in the review. Eligible studies had to report body weight, total cholesterol, LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and serum triglycerides as outcomes.
All selected studies included a hypocaloric diet or nutrition advice in both treatment and control arms. Other co-interventions included encouragement of increased physical activity, dietary counselling, physical activity diaries and self-help weight control educational packages.
The authors stated neither how the papers were selected for the review nor how many reviewers performed the selection.