People with an active eating disorder should not take Xenical or any weight-loss medication without direct physical visits to their primary physician and constant monitoring. If you have ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder, it is strongly recommended that you first meet with a primary care doctor to discuss whether taking Xenical is right for you.

Xenical treatment is permanently contraindicated (that is, firmly not recommended) for anyone who suffers from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder (BED). Xenical will work effectively and safely only when taken at mealtimes, and in combination with a strict diet and weight-reduction program.

In some limited cases and under special circumstances determined by a doctor, Xenical may be prescribed for people with an eating disorder. However, in such cases the person taking Xenical must first receive a physician's approval, and then constant monitoring by a doctor during treatment.

Xenical is designed to be taken with meals, and is prescribed for obese persons whose Body Mass Index (BMI, calculated as kg/m2) exceeds 30 - or for overweight people (BMI 27-29.9) with associated risk factors such as diabetes mellitus.

If you would like more information on eating disorders, click on the following links:

Organizations

Eating Disorder Recovery Online
www.edrecovery.com/

National Eating Disorders Association
www.kidsource.com/nedo/index.html

Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
www.nmisp.org/eat.htm


Articles & Reference Pages

Treating Eating Disorders, Scientific American article
Treating Eating Disorders

"Anorexia Goes High Tech," Time magazine article, 13 August 2001
www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,169660,00.html

About.com's Eating Disorders Resource Page
mentalhealth.about.com

On the Teen Scene: Eating Disorders Require Medical Attention, FDA Consumer, revised September 1997
www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/eatdis.html