If you are overweight or obese, you might be advised to lose weight by your GP, especially if it is causing you related health problems. You may also wish to lose weight for your own personal reasons.
Weight loss can be healthy if combined with a good relationship with food and exercise. A new injection aims to help with this healthy weight loss by reducing your appetite.
Saxenda is backed by the NHS and is available in Boots, Lloyds and Well pharmacies across the UK. Used correctly, it can help you shed five per cent of your body weight in three months.
Read more: Do I have a good relationship with food? Warning signs and when to seek help.
How does Saxenda work?
Saxenda works by acting on receptors in the brain that control your appetite, causing you to feel fuller and less hungry. It mimics a hormone which is released after eating a filling meal, called GLP1. This means that people using the jab will feel fuller and are less likely to overeat.
The injection is taken once a day and is administered at home. It goes under your skin on your abdomen, thighs, or upper arm. Saxenda should work immediately and give noticeable results within the first two weeks of taking it.
It is important to note that Saxenda is not a quick fix. Weight loss will happen when the injection is combined with a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise. You should consult your GP on what that means for you, as everyone has different dietary and calorie requirements. If following a healthy diet, you can expect to lose five per cent of your body weight in three months.
Is Saxenda safe?
Before Saxenda was approved by the NHS, it underwent rigorous trials. In one 2015 trial, some side effects were noted amongst the adults trialling the drug. They found that it was common for patients to have side effects like sickness, headaches and vomiting. This was true for about ten per cent of those trialling the drug.
There were some other mild side effects like indigestion, dizziness, tiredness, and low blood sugar. It is important that you talk to your GP about any concerns before starting on the new drug.
How to get the Saxenda injection
The weight loss injection is available at Boots, Lloyds and Well, but it is not as simple as buying it over-the-counter. There are a number of criteria that you need to fulfil, which varies between each person. In most cases, you must have a BMI of 30 or above and have tried other ways to lose weight in the past.
You must have a prescription to be able to buy Saxenda, so talk to your GP about your options. Those who are accepted can buy jabs in store or have them delivered. 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, so it is not a cheap option for weight loss.
