Almost a quarter of Britons would take anti-obesity drugs if they were given to them for free on the NHS, a survey has found.
But while weight loss jabs are set to “play an important role” in tackling obesity, they are not “the holy grail” and might not be right for everyone, an NHS spokesperson warned.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist are a family of medications that help manage blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes, but have also been found to help obese people lose weight.
The drugs include Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, and semaglutide, which is sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.
The survey of 1,078 adults, carried out by Ipsos, found 24% of people would use weight-loss jabs if they were provided for free by the health service.
However, less than one in 10 (7%) said they would buy them privately at a cost of about £180 to £220 per month.
On their own they are not the holy grail – they will not be right for everyone and like all medicines they can have side effects
When asked about their own body image, four in 10 told the survey they think they are overweight or obese.
Three in 10 people said they had a great or fair amount of knowledge about weight loss drugs, although this differed by age group, with those aged 18 to 34 more knowledgeable compared to 27% of 35 to 54-year-olds and 19% among those aged 55 to 75.
Ozempic is available on the NHS for people with type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy can be prescribed for weight loss via specialist weight management services, with strict criteria around who can get the drugs.
In June, Mounjaro was recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) as an NHS treatment option to help manage obesity.
However, health officials in England have since considered a staggered roll-out of the medication due to high levels of demand.
An NHS spokesperson said: “Weight loss drugs will play an important role in helping the NHS tackle obesity, alongside our early prevention initiatives which will help more people to lose weight and reduce their risk of killer conditions like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
“But on their own they are not the holy grail – they will not be right for everyone and like all medicines they can have side effects.”
It comes after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) called for doctors to look out for “signs of misuse” of weight loss drugs among their patients.
Last month, the regulator warned that the “benefits and risks of using these medicines for weight loss by individuals who do not have obesity or who are not overweight with weight-related comorbidities have not been studied”.
The side effects of GLP-1 agonist drugs can include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Those who responded to Ipsos survey were also split on whether the health service should be offering the drugs to those with obesity.
Some 37% were in favour of the treatments, even if it means an immediate cost to the NHS, while 32% said they think the health service should not offer the drugs to people who are obese, even if this means that people stay obese.
The NHS spokesperson added: “The NHS provides a wide range of support which is helping hundreds of thousands of people lose weight and live healthier lives, and we are committed to working with the Government, industry and experts to ensure that new treatments can be rolled out safely, effectively and affordably.”
In October, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that weight-loss jabs could help boost the economy in Britain by getting people “back into work”, as well as helping to ease pressure on the NHS.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting also suggested that the drugs could be given to unemployed people to help them return to the workplace as a trial was launched to assess the impact of wight loss jabs on being out of work.
Officials announced that researchers will examine the “real-world effectiveness” of Mounjaro on weight loss, diabetes prevention, the prevention of obesity-related complications, and the impact on NHS use over a five-year period.
