Billed as the cure drug to the obesity crisis, as well as Hollywood’s worst kept slimming secret, the popularity of fat-busting jabs has exploded in recent years.
Sold under the brands, Wegovy and Mounjaro, as well as the off-label prescriptions of the diabetes drug Ozempic, many hope the injections will help get a horde of Brits battling obesity-related health woes back in 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 in excess of 35.
This has led to a booming private prescription industry, with industry insiders estimating some 430,000 people currently pay £150 to £200 for their bi-annual supply.
Analysts said the number of private prescriptions for fat busting jabs like Ozempic are predicted to soar to over 1million next year, if current skyrocketing demand continues
This compares to a mere £9.90 for those lucky enough to get it on the NHS.
But analysts added the number of such private prescriptions are predicted to soar to over 1million next year, if current skyrocketing demand continues.
Rebecca Moore, chief operating officer of Simple Online Pharmacy which conducted the analysis, told The Sun the impact of the drugs on patient’s lives couldn’t be underestimated and that the private sector was happy to step in.
‘These revolutionary treatments aren’t just reversing obesity at an awe-inspiring pace, they are having a hugely positive impact on people’s lives,’ she said.
‘The NHS cannot be expected to shoulder this alone and the private sector is showing its capacity to treat obesity at pace.’
In comparison, data shows NHS prescriptions for semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, have soared to 1.2million doses given in 2023 compared to a mere 81,000 dished out in 2019.
Figures for 2024 are set to eclipse this, with almost 900,000 semaglutide prescriptions issued by July, the latest data available.
Prescriptions for tirzepatide, the ingredient in Mounjaro are far lower, given the drug was initially only approved for people managing diabetes, but numbers have already reached nearly 145,000 this year.
This chart, taken from the NHS-backed data source OpenPrescribing, health service prescriptions for semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, have soared to 1.2million doses given in 2023 compared to a mere 81,000 dished out in 2019
Ministers plan to dole the drug to millions of overweight Brits to trim both the country’s bulging benefits bill from sick Brits taking time off work and the ever-expanding cost of treating excess flab to the NHS.
Latest NHS data shows about one in four adults in England are obese.
When the further four in 10 who are overweight are included, it means over half of the country’s adults are too fat.
All the fat jabs currently on the market work by mimicking a natural hormone called GLP-1 that makes people feel full, reducing their appetite and helping people lose weight.
While primarily a weight-loss medication some studies have suggested they also have a suite of other benefits including slashing the risk of heart attack and stroke and kidney disease, and recently even some cancers.
Wegovy and Ozempic work by triggering the body to produce a hormone called GLP-1 that is released naturally from the intestines after meals
However, the jabs have also been linked to host of side effects, which like any medication, vary in both frequency and severity.
Reported problems include nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, fatigue, stomach pain, headaches and dizziness.
Bizarre symptoms, such as hair loss, have also been reported among some patients.
Fat-busting jabs have become the go-to slimming jab of celebs with famous faces who who have admitted to using them including Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Sharon Osbourne, Chelsea Handler and Robbie Williams.
While a potential ‘gamechanger’ in the battle against obesity there has been increasing concern about the number of normal weight and underweight patients needing A&E care after taking the jabs in a bid to become ‘beach body ready’.
