Ozempic-like weight loss jabs could one day be dished out like statins, says top NHS doctor

WEIGHT loss jabs could one day be dished out like statins, England's top doctor says.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, said in years to come they will get cheaper and may be used to prevent a range of illnesses.
But chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty said they are 'not a get out of jail card' and people must still try to be healthy.
GPs will roll out Mounjaro across the country from this month.
The injections currently cost the NHS around £100 each but prices are expected to drop over time.
Research increasingly shows they have health benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss, potentially including reducing the risks of cancer, dementia and heart diseases.
Cholesterol -lowering statins have been used for decades to reduce heart attacks and strokes and now cost next to nothing at 3p a pill.
Studies suggest they also reduce the risk of dementia, though it is not what they were designed for.
Prof Powis said: 'The use of statins is now very different from when they first came out and I've no doubt that will be the same for these drugs.
'I think over time it's highly likely that they will become more widespread.
'I think there will be a combination of increased evidence of positive outcomes and costs dropping, and we will learn better how to deploy them.
'It's not completely unusual for drugs over time to be found to have effects that go over and beyond what they were initially designed for.
'I am not starry-eyed about weight loss drugs but it's very exciting.
'We're in the foothills of learning how to use them.'
NHS prescriptions surging
NHS use of the jabs is already skyrocketing and official figures show prescriptions in England surged from 1.4million in 2023 to 2.7m in 2024.
Doctors spent a total of £269million on them in the latest financial year and more than a million people are estimated to be buying them privately.
Prof Whitty said it is important for people to still get help to eat healthily and exercise, as well as taking medicine.
He added: 'These are not get out of jail cards.
'What we shouldn't do is use it as an excuse, as a society, not to deal with what is a rising and very serious problem.'
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.'
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mail​

12 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

Julia Bradbury, 53, takes a 'healing' dip in the ocean as she discusses the importance of finding purpose while battling cancer in emotional post

Julia Bradbury has opened up on how healing emotionally can be crucial during a battle against cancer. The Countryfile presenter, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2021 before undergoing a mastectomy to have her 6cm tumour removed. Julia has been candid about how cancer changed her as a person, saying that the disease actually 'saved her life' after she became 'stressed all the time' due to work. On Saturday, the mother-of-three has now taken to her Instagram to detail how emotions can affect your health as she discussed the toll of the disease. Sharing a video of herself enjoying a wetsuit-clad cold dip in the ocean, Julia spoke about the importance of having a purpose while fighting the disease. She wrote: 'What if one of the most powerful parts of your healing… isn't 'medical', it's emotional. And it's inside you. 'In the journey through cancer I've met some incredible people & learnt a lot about a whole person approach to recovery and healing. 'Yesterday at @ipmcongress (a conference all about a personalised approach to health and treatments) I interviewed @joembracingnutrition about her approach to cancer patients. 'She calls it a 360 approach and it includes monitoring bloods, testing, targeted treatment of the cancer itself (working alongside an oncologist) but very importantly it addresses emotional issues too. 'We all have them. And most of us lead stressful lives (phones/emails/work pressures/family commitments/travel to work/shift work/lack of sleep!).' She went on to discuss the characteristics of cancer patients who manage to survive the disease 'against all the odds'. Julia continued: 'A strong reason for living — maybe it's your children, a dream not yet lived, or the simple joy of a sunrise. 'Releasing old, suppressed emotions — letting go of pain you've held for too long. 'Promoting positive emotions — finding joy, laughter, even in dark places. Sharing a video of herself enjoying a wetsuit-clad cold dip in the ocean, Julia spoke about the importance of having a purpose while fighting the disease 'I try not to forget the importance of emotions when it comes to health. It takes work and it can be uncomfortable to explore.. but healing isn't just what's done to you… it's what awakens inside you too.' Julia has been open about her experience with cancer since her 2021 diagnosis. Just a matter of weeks ago, she proudly shared her surgery scars which remain following her mastectomy. Coupled with a close up shot of her lower breast, the journalist called the scars a sign of 'resilience'. 'Just like those vessels, our scars - emotional or physical - are not flaws to be concealed,' she shared. They are stories of resilience, growth and transformation. Each mark is a testament to our journey and strength,' she wrote. Julia also candidly spoke about the moment she told her husband, Gerard Cunningham, that she had cancer around four years ago. Appearing on Davina McCall's Begin Again podcast, she said: 'I told him, and we cried. And I said, 'I'll do whatever I have to do to get through this. I will do whatever it is'.' Determined to fight, she expressed her readiness to face any challenge that may pop up ahead. 'If I have to lose a breast, I'll have to lose my hair. If I have to go, whatever it is I need to do,' she said. 'I'm going to do what I need to do to get through this.' Julia said fighting cancer is not the same for everyone. She explained: 'Every type of cancer is different. Every type of breast cancer is different. 'You'll have a friend who's gone through breast cancer, and she and I will sit down and have a story, and we'll have had a different tumour in a different place, and it will behave differently. 'It's very complicated. And that's the reason why the war on cancer hasn't been won yet.' Julia shares her son Zephyr, 13, and her twin girls, Xanthe and Zena, eight, with her property developer husband, Gerard. In 2023, she spoke about her determination to 'stay alive' two years on from her breast cancer diagnosis. The journalist and TV presenter had the tumour, two lymph glands and her left breast removed before having reconstruction surgery. Julia has since revealed how her diagnosis changed her life, leading her to adopt a much healthier diet and go teetotal as she declared she will do everything possible to see her children grow up.

BreakingNews.ie

an hour ago

• BreakingNews.ie

Chris Hoy calls for systemic change in testing for prostate cancer

Six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy has called for systemic change in the ways men get tested for prostate cancer. The 49-year old cyclist was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in 2023 and was told last year that it has spread to his bones and is terminal. Advertisement NHS guidance says men over the age of 50 are at highest risk of developing prostate cancer, but Sir Chris wants to help men get screened earlier. He said: 'I was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer at 47. By this age, my prostate cancer was advanced and could have been progressing from when I was 45 or even younger. 'With prostate cancer, the earlier you find it, the easier it is to treat. We need the system to change to enable more men to get diagnosed earlier, and stop them getting the news I got.' One option is a PSA blood test which checks the level of prostate-specific antigens in the blood, A high reading may be a sign of a prostate condition. Advertisement NHS guidance says these tests are not routinely used as they are not reliable, but men over 50 can ask GPs for one. Sir Chris's comments came after Prostate Cancer UK urged the UK government for an overhaul of NHS guidelines to encourage GPs to proactively speak to men at high risk from 45 years old. According to the charity, around one in eight men in the UK will get prostate cancer, which occurs when cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrolled way and, if not detected early, risks spreading. Sir Chris added: 'I believe men at highest risk, for example men with a family history like me or black men, should be contacted by their GP earlier on to discuss a simple PSA blood test that can check for signs of prostate cancer. Then if there are any issues, they can get it treated it at an earlier stage. Advertisement 'I've told my story to help raise awareness about the most common cancer in men and get more thinking about their risk and what they can do, but it shouldn't all be men's responsibility. 'I've faced many challenges in my life, and going public with my prostate cancer diagnosis was certainly one of them. 'I've been incredibly lucky to have so much support from my family, friends and the general public. The kindness has lifted me up and given me a sense of purpose, and I'm committed to taking that forward and using my platform to raise awareness of the most common cancer in men and help more men at risk to come forward and get tested.' The Scottish cyclist has launched his own charity cycling challenge, Tour de 4, with the aim of changing perceptions around stage four cancer. Advertisement The challenge will take place on September 7 in Glasgow with a final registration phase open for riders to sign up. Speaking about Sir Chris, Laura Kerby, chief executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'His bravery and tireless work to raise awareness has already made a huge impact. 'In just a few months after Sir Chris went public with his diagnosis last year, over 286,000 people used our online risk checker to learn more about the disease, find out their own risk and learn what they can choose to do about it. 'His bravery has inspired so many men to take action, and he has undoubtedly saved lives. Advertisement 'One in eight men will get prostate cancer. The earlier it's found, the easier it is to treat — but there's currently no screening programme in the UK. So if, like Sir Chris, you have a family history of the disease, or if you're black, we strongly encourage you to speak to your GP about testing from the age of 45. 'We don't think it's right that the responsibility is all on men's shoulders, so we're calling on the Health Secretary to overhaul outdated NHS guidelines so that GPs are empowered to actually start conversations with these men at highest risk.' A Government spokesperson said: 'This Government has been clear we would like to see screening in place but the decision must be evidence-led, which is why the UK National Screening Committee is looking at this as a priority – including reviewing the evidence for screening men with a family history of prostate cancer. 'While the review is taking place we are getting on with improving cancer treatment and prevention, as well as funding tens of millions of pounds of research.'

The Independent

2 hours ago

• The Independent

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson raises concerns for disabled community after government passes assisted dying bill

Former Paralympian, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has raised her concerns for the disabled community in the wake of the government passing the assisted dying bill through the House of Commons. Grey-Thompson sits in the House of Lords and has stated she hopes to amend the bill and make it stronger so that disabled people are less likely to be coerced into agreeing to assisted dying. The baroness said, "Right now a lot of disabled people are worried and this is the job of the Lords, line by line legislation." The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was approved by 341 votes to 291 at its third reading in the House of Commons, a majority of 23.