Three new studies find that taking a low dose of the diet drug orlistat, while eating a reduced-calorie diet results in significant weight loss.

Researchers also found the combination improved lipid and blood pressure profiles and was well tolerated by patients.

The studies were presented at the International Congress of Obesity in Sydney, Australia

According to a report by Australian investors, gastric banding- a minimally invasive type of weight loss surgery- may help adults with mildly to moderate obesity.

To study the effectiveness of the stomach surgery in moderately obese adults, Dr. Paul E. O'Brien, of the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, and colleagues recruited 80 patients who had body mass indexes (BMIs) of 30 to 35, comorbid conditions, severe physical limitations, or psychosocial problems related to their obesity, and who had made prior attempts to reduce weight

Roche Holding AG's prescription diet drug Xenical should immediately be pulled from the U.S. market after recent data linked it to precancerous colon lesions in animal studies, a consumer group told federal health regulators on Monday.

In a petition, Public Citizen also asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reject making the weight-loss pill widely available over the counter. On Friday, the FDA said it granted GlaxoSmithKline Plc. conditional approval to sell the drug without a prescription if it first meets certain undisclosed criteria. Glaxo owns U.S. rights for nonprescription sales of Xenical

A consumer watchdog group is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to remove the prescription obesity drug Xenical (orlistat) from the market.

Public Citizen says the drug may lead to a higher risk of aberrant crypt foci (ACF), which is believed to be a factor in colon cancer

Public Citizen Group has filed a petition, Monday, with Food and Drug Administration asking health officials to ban the prescription version of fat-blocking drug orlistat, citing a link to what some scientists believe are precancerous lesions in the large intestine.

The petition asks for the removal of the drug from the market, sold by Roche since 1999 under the brand name Xenical