The present invention relates to novel antiobesity and hypocholesterolemic compounds, their derivatives, their analogs, their tautomeric forms, their stereoisomers, their polymorphs, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, their pharmaceutically acceptable solvates and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions containing them. More particularly, the present invention relates to novel .beta.-aryl-.alpha.-oxysubstituted alkylcarboxylic acids of the general formula (I), ##STR00001## their derivatives, their analogs, their tautomeric forms, their stereoisomers, their polymorphs, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, their pharmaceutically acceptable solvates and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions containing them. The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of the above said novel compounds, their analogs, their derivatives, their tautomeric forms, their stereoisomers, their polymorphs, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, pharmaceutically acceptable solvates and pharmaceutical compositions containing them. The present invention also relates to novel intermediates, processes for their preparation and their use in the preparation of compounds of formula (I).