Health officials announced that over a million obese adults would soon be eligible for weight-loss jabs on the NHS. The drug watchdog NICE has agreed to go light on the groundbreaking once-weekly Wegovy jab. Professionals reckon it might play a substantial part in grasping the country’s obesity issue. The fat-burning solution, moreover, has been verified in scientific examinations to be as beneficial as gastric band surgery.
Gamechanger
In Novo Nordisk’s medication trials, participants who were given the treatment lost an average of 2.5 stones (13kg) in comparison to those who were given a placebo. One-third of the participants shed a fifth of their total body weight.
“No other medicine has come close to producing this level of weight loss – this definitely is a gamechanger. For the first time, people can achieve through drugs something which was only possible through weight-loss surgery,” said Rachel Batterham. She is a project lead researcher and professor of obesity, diabetes, and endocrinology at University College London.
Medicine will be once a week for anybody with a BMI of 30 or higher who needs special care and anyone with a BMI of 35 or higher who has a weight-related health concern. The medicine curtails craving and calorie intake by hijacking the body’s appetite control system in the brain. However, the Health Survey for England stated that 68 percent of males aged 16 to 75 were overweight or obese. In 2019, 60% of women were fat or overweight. Obesity was certainly prevalent among children, with 18% of males and 13% of girls being fat.
What are the guidelines?
NICE’s draft guidelines for England and Wales, are not yet fully approved. Therefore, the weight-loss jabs should be prescribed:
- by a specialist
- to obese adults at least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure or heart disease
- for a maximum of two years
- People would use pre-filled pens to inject themselves.
- Obese people should consult their doctor about how to lose weight safely.
- Some people manage it solely with diet and exercise.
What are the other treatments for weight loss?
- orlistat – a pill that stops the body from absorbing some of the fat in food
- liraglutide, branded Saxenda – a daily injection that makes people feel fuller and less hungry
- a gastric band – placed around the stomach to make people feel fuller
- a gastric bypass or bariatric surgery – to remove or alter the plumbing of some of the digestive tract
Moreover, calorie labeling on menus at cafés and takeaways will be mandatory by the Department of Health and Social Care and will take effect in April 2022.