Touted as the cure for the obesity crisis, as well as Hollywood’s worst-kept weight-loss secret, the popularity of fat-busting jabs has skyrocketed in recent years.
Sold under the brand names Wegovy and Mounjaro, as well as unauthorized prescriptions for the diabetes drug Ozempic, many hope the injections will help a horde of Brits battling obesity-related health problems return to good health.
But not everyone can get them on the NHS.
Supplies of drugs like Wegovy are currently limited to those with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30 and a health condition related to their weight, such as high blood pressure or a BMI greater than 35.
This has given rise to a thriving private prescription sector; Industry experts estimate that around 430,000 people currently pay between £150 and £200 for their six-month supply.
Analysts said the number of private prescriptions for fat-busting vaccines such as Ozempic is expected to soar to more than 1 million next year if current growing demand continues.
This compares to just £9.90 for those lucky enough to get it on the NHS.
But analysts added that the number of such private prescriptions is predicted to rise to more than 1 million next year, if the current growing demand continues.
Rebecca Moore, chief operating officer of Simple Online Pharmacy who conducted the analysis, said the sun The impact of medicines on patients’ lives could not be underestimated and that the private sector was happy to intervene.
“These revolutionary treatments are not only reversing obesity at an impressive rate, but they are also having a hugely positive impact on people’s lives,” he said.
“The NHS cannot be expected to deal with this alone and the private sector is demonstrating its ability to treat obesity at a good pace.”
By comparison, data shows that NHS prescriptions for semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, have soared to 1.2 million doses administered in 2023, compared to just 81,000 distributed in 2019.
Figures for 2024 are expected to eclipse this figure, with almost 900,000 semaglutide prescriptions issued in July, the latest data available.
Prescriptions for tirzepatide, the ingredient in Mounjaro, are much lower as the drug was initially only approved for people managing diabetes, but numbers have already reached nearly 145,000 this year.
In this graph, taken from the NHS-backed OpenPrescribing data source, prescriptions for semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, in health services have soared to 1.2 million doses administered in 2023, in compared to only 81,000 distributed in 2019.
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Ministers plan to distribute the drug to millions of overweight Britons to cut both the country’s hefty benefit bill for sick Britons taking time off work and the rising cost of treating excess flab to the NHS.
The latest NHS data shows that around one in four adults in England are obese.
When you include the other four in 10 who are overweight, it means that more than half of the country’s adults are too fat.
All fat injections currently on the market work by mimicking a natural hormone called GLP-1 that makes people feel full, reduces appetite and helps with weight loss.
While it is primarily a weight-loss drug, some studies have suggested that it also has a number of other benefits, including reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. and kidney diseases and, recently, even some cancers.
Wegovy and Ozempic work by causing the body to produce a hormone called GLP-1 that is released naturally from the intestines after meals.
However, the injections have also been linked to a number of side effects that, like any medication, vary in both frequency and severity.
Reported problems include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, stomach pain, headaches and dizziness.
Some patients have also reported strange symptoms, such as hair loss.
Fat-burning jabs have become the slimming jab of choice for celebrities with famous faces who who have admitted to using them including oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Sharon Osborne, chelsea controller and Robbie Williams.
While it is a potential “game changer” in the battle against obesity, there has been growing concern about the number of normal weight and underweight patients requiring emergency care after receiving the jabs in an attempt to be “prepared.” for the beach body”.
