Boots Now Selling NHS-Approved 'Weight Loss Jab' To Curb Your Appetite
Boots is now selling a new prescription-free 'weight loss injection' that works by suppressing users' appetites.
The NHS-approved injection, called Liraglutide (commonly known as Saxenda), is now available to buy at Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy stores across the UK without a prescription.
Those interested in having the jab will have to apply for a quick online consultation.
The jab mimics the hormone GLP1 that our bodies release when we feel full after eating.
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The resulting effect will be almost too good to be true for those who struggle to maintain a healthy weight as it curbs their appetites and encourages them to eat fewer calories during the day.
Health experts have highlighted that the jab is not a 'miracle' weight-loss cure, however, and should be combined with a low-fat food plan and moderate exercise to achieve any weight loss.
Those who are granted the jab can expect to lose about 5 percent of their body weight in only the first three months - 6kg for someone who weighs 120kg.
The NHS website suggests Liraglutide is suitable for adults younger than 75 and should be avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women, as well as those with liver or kidney problems.
The website reads: "Liraglutide is a weight loss medicine that works by making you feel fuller and less hungry.
"It's taken as an injection once a day. Your doctor or nurse will show you how to take it.
"You can usually only take liraglutide if it's prescribed for you by a specialist weight management service."
Common side effects include nausea, fatigue, constipation, and low blood sugar, according to Saxenda's website.
Other and much rarer side effects include thyroid tumors and, rather shockingly, cancer, which had been seen in lab tests on rodents.
The jab was first approved in the UK in 2017 as a private prescription-only drug and it was recently rolled out by the NHS limited by strict criteria.
Those who want to buy the jab at a pharmacy must have a Body Mass Index of 30 or above to be eligible for the drug.
They must also have attempted other methods of weight loss before trying to buy it, which an online questionnaire will ask potential buyers about when they fill out their medical history and symptoms.
The jab can be bought in-store or delivered to people's homes once they've been approved and a single injection can last 17 days, with a three-pack lasting four and a half weeks.
A three-pen pack will cost £150 and a five-pen pack will set users back by £240, with a small discount.
Charlie Metcalfe