The NHS is prescribing a weight-loss jab to tackle the issue of obesity in what doctors are calling a "game changer."
The jab is intended to suppress a person's appetite with patients now able to access prescriptions at their local pharmacies after Britain was confirmed as the most obese nation in Europe.
More than 35 million people in the UK are either overweight or obese, according to official figures, and an NHS report found more than 60 percent of adults in England are at risk of developing chronic health problems
In 2020, 67 percent of men and 60 percent of women were either overweight or obese. Somewhat shockingly, 20 percent of Year 6 children were classed as obese.
UK-wide NHS costs attributable to overweight and obese individuals are projected to reach £9.7 billion by 2050, according to official Government statistics.
Meanwhile, diabetes, type 2 of which is often by-product of being overweight, already costs the NHS £1.5million per-hour, as reported in LeicestershireLive
Now, more treatments are available for people hoping to shed some weight. Below we take a look at how the weight-loss jab works and how people can get access to it.
How does the weight-loss jab work?
For the first time, people can achieve through medicine what was only possible through weight-loss surgery.
Saxenda works by mimicking a hormone called GLP1, that is released after eating a filling meal.
By posing as the hormone, the jab suppresses your appetite, meaning you will hopefully eat less.
Saxenda is injected once a day under the skin, recommended to be administered to the abdomen, the front of your thighs or your upper arm. It gets to work almost immediately and you should see the effects within two weeks.
When combined with a low-fat food plan and modern levels of activity, users of Saxenda should expect to lose 5 percent of their body weight over three months.
However, it is important to stress that Saxenda is a weight-loss aid and not a cure that works without major dietary and lifestyle changes.
How to get weight-loss jab at pharmacies
To get access to the weight-loss jab at the likes of Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy, you have to meet certain criteria that changes depending on the individual.
In most cases you have to be 30 or above on the Body Mass Index scale and tried other methods of losing weight before being accepted for Saxenda.
You can apply for an quick online consultation here, where you will be asked questions just like a traditional appointment at you GP.
The questionnaire asks you about your medical history and symptoms. Your answers help their experts assess your suitability for treatment.
If accepted, you can pick up your jabs in store or have them delivered for free to your home. Saxenda comes in a 3ml pre-filled injection pen, with a single pen lasting 17 days and a pack of three covering 4.5 weeks.
A pack of three pens costs £150, while a pack of five is priced at £240.
What Boots says on its website
We can offer either Saxenda, Orlistat or Xenical as prescription treatment to help you lose weight. We’ll help you decide if treatment is right for you, and how you need to take it to get the best results.
We’ll check in with you after you start any treatment we prescribe to see how you’re getting on. If it’s going well, you can potentially request repeat prescriptions for up to 12 months and we’ll check in regularly with you to see if you are on track.
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