Don’t use skinny hacks to prep ‘beach body’, doctors plead as NHS sees rise in number of Brits rushed to hospital

Weight loss jabs are a hot topic in the media at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who have lost weight.

In March 2023, the NHS announced that it would make Wegovy, a medicine made by Danish company Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Britons.

It contains the drug semaglutide, which has reportedly helped reality TV star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.

Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce weight by 20% in trials, is now available in pharmacies such as Boots.

How do they work?

Vaccines work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and, consequently, lose weight.

To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.

GLP-1 is part of the signaling pathway that tells your body that you have eaten and prepares it to use energy from food.

London GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing. withZoe Watson, said: “Your body naturally produces an appetite-regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.

“These injections work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and weight loss.”

Aren’t they diabetes medications?

Semaglutide, the active medication in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for patients with diabetes.

But people began to realize that it helped suppress their appetite, stopping them from eating as much and helping them lose weight.

Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but in higher doses, specifically to help with weight loss.

Wegovy is not prescribed for patients with diabetes.

Can I get them?

Wegovy is offered by prescription to obese adults receiving specialized weight loss treatment.

The NHS also currently offers a similar medicine called Saxenda, or liraglutide.

Both are only available in Level 3 and Level 4 weight management services, which means you should be referred to specialist-led weight management clinics.

General practitioners also cannot prescribe them themselves, Dr. Watson said.

Vaccinations should be taken as part of an overall program to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the prescribed medication.

Despite being approved for use, supply of Wegovy on the NHS has been delayed indefinitely due to increased global demand.

Supply also fell by half in the US due to soaring demand.

Are there risks?

Like all medicines, vaccines have no side effects.

About half of people taking the medicine experience intestinal problems, including nausea, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhea.

Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more unusual 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, thyroid tumors, gallbladder problems, and hypoglycemia.

What other options are there?

Mounjaro (trade name for tirzepatide) also hit the market in early 2024.

Like Wegovy, tirzepatide is derived from a medication originally developed to treat diabetes.

The weekly injection helped overweight people lose more than two kilos in 18 months.

It is available on order with an online prescription from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.

It works similarly to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.

Dr. Mitra Dutt of Lloyds Pharmacy says: “Based on clinical trials, 96 percent of people were able to lose more than five percent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 percent of people lost more than five percent of their body weight on Wegovy and 60 percent on Saxenda.

“Mounjaro works by activating two hormone receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which increase insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity and act to decrease food intake.”