• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Weight loss jab to be available on the NHS

Home> News

Published 12:02 8 Mar 2023 GMT

Weight loss jab to be available on the NHS

The weight loss jab has been proven to work and described as a 'game changer'

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

A weight loss drug which is favoured by many celebrities will be made available on the NHS to certain people living with obesity.

Health officials have announced that the appetite suppressant drug will be offered on prescription after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) gave it the thumbs up.

Thousands of people across England are expected to receive the drug, with experts describing it as a 'pivotal moment' in tackling obesity, though there have been warnings that nobody should expect a 'quick fix'.

The drug is administered as a weekly injection and studies into the effectiveness of the weight loss jab found that people saw their weight drop by an average of 12 percent over a period of 68 weeks.

Advert

Made by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, Nice has recommended the drug semaglutide (also referred to as Wegovy and Ozempic) for people with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 and at least one weight-related health condition.

These health conditions include type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia (unbalanced or unhealthy cholesterol levels), obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease.

The weight loss jab will be prescribed to certain patients on the NHS.
Alan Smith / Alamy Stock Photo

Nice says the drug should be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, and prescriptions will only be given after approval by several experts and for a period of no more than two years.

The weekly injection suppresses a person's appetite by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released after eating, making people feel full and resulting in them eating less.

Advert

Common side-effects of the weight loss jab include nausea and diarrhoea, but studies indicate potential side-effects are 'mild' and 'subsided with time'.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said the drug was a 'welcome option' as some people

She said: "It won’t be available to everyone.

"Our committee has made specific recommendations to ensure it remains value for money for the taxpayer, and it can only be used for a maximum of two years.

"We are pleased to finally publish our final guidance on semaglutide which will mean some people will be able to access this much talked about drug on the NHS."

Advert

Concerns have been raised over what impact the drug could have for people with eating disorders.
Richard Johnson / Alamy Stock Photo

However, while the weight loss drug does indeed work and could be incredibly helpful for some there are concerns over the potential misuse of it.

Tom Quinn, director of external affairs for the charity Beat, raised concerns about the impact a viable weight loss drug could have for people with eating disorders.

He said: "Weight-loss medications like semaglutide can be extremely attractive to people with eating disorders as they appear to provide quick results.

"However, these medications can be very dangerous as they can worsen harmful thoughts and behaviours for those unwell, or contribute to an eating disorder developing for someone who is already vulnerable."

Advert

The drug is favoured by a number of celebrities, with Elon Musk claiming it's part of the reason he's able to stay in shape while Jeremy Clarkson was glowing with praise after he tried semaglutide.

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said they were 'working to make Wegovy available in the UK as soon as possible'.

Featured Image Credit: Aldar Darmaev / Alamy Lankowsky / Alamy

Topics: UK News, News, NHS, Health, Science

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
4 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    Jurors reach partial verdict in Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex-trafficking trial

    The jury reached a partial verdict after more than 12 hours of deliberations, following weeks of disturbing testimony.

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Archaeologists make 90 metre long Ancient Roman discovery buried on the ocean floor

    Divers excavated something in Italy that could reveal Roman-era secrets

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    'Worst shark attack ever' saw desperate crew feed dead to sharks as they circled in bloodbath

    If you've seen Jaws, then you'll know about this

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    'Infuriated' swingers speak out on the impact Diddy's 'freak-off' parties had on community

    Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers caused an outcry in the swinging community

    News
  • Government issues serious sexual health warning for Mounjaro users as weight loss drug set to be available on NHS
  • Doctor issued warning over potentially fatal Mounjaro 'golden dose' as weight-loss jab to be rolled out across Britain
  • The weight you need to be to get Mounjaro from your GP revealed
  • Nurse’s death aged 58 linked to recently approved NHS weight loss drug