Tens of thousands of people are being helped to lose weight with a ‘breakthrough’ drug in Britain’s fight against the bulge.
Watchdog NICE has given the green light for the weekly vaccination in what experts have called a “defining moment” in the fight against obesity.
Semaglutide – sold under the brand name Wegovy – works by hijacking the brain to suppress appetite and reduce calorie intake, leading to significant weight loss.
Studies found that those treated with it lost about 12 percent of their body weight — and reduced their chances of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half.
The drug, which costs £73 a month, has now been given the green light for use with the NHS.
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson (left) revealed he was taking Ozempic to lose weight. When asked in October if a healthier diet or the gym was behind his 30-pound weight loss, Elon Musk (right) credited “fasting” and “Wegovy.”
Kim Kardashian is rumored to have used Wegovy to lose weight fast to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s famous Happy Birthday Mr President dress at the 2022 Met Gala (pictured).
This means patients could be referred for the DIY vaccinations instead of gastric bands or other weight loss surgeries, reducing the burden on hospitals and saving the NHS millions.
Experts today welcomed his recommendation for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and over as part of a diet and exercise weight loss program.
Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said this is “the weight-loss drug we’ve been waiting for” and urged health leaders to ration supplies to those most in need.
He said: “It’s a game changer and so successful that Hollywood A-listers are now using it to slim down and show off their figures.
“The real danger is that there isn’t enough in the short term.
“You shouldn’t just use it to shed a few pounds, as that could endanger the health of those who really need it, those who have type 2 diabetes and morbid obesity.”
It is hoped that the vaccines, manufactured by Novo Nordisk – which will initially help around 35,000 people a year – will be available to patients within weeks as part of the NHS weight management specialist services.
The drugs work by suppressing appetite by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is released after eating, making people feel like they’re eating less and losing weight.
Adults with a BMI classified as obese and at least one weight-related medical condition such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or hypertension could qualify.
The injections are self-administered by the patients once a week using pre-filled pens for at least 16 weeks.
Patients can initially take the drug for a maximum of two years, although regulators say there’s scope to extend that if real-world data shows it continues to be an effective weight-loss tool.
Wegovy and Ozempic work by stimulating the body to produce a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, which is released naturally from the gut after meals
Semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy for those who are overweight or obese, will be available in pharmacies this spring
A British study found that people using Wegovy experienced rapid weight loss, losing 18% of their weight over 68 weeks. They regained two-thirds of that weight, or 12% of their original body weight, in the year after stopping the weekly injections. Experts say that to get rid of the pounds, the drug needs to be used for a lifetime
Around 19 million people in England are obese, costing the NHS more than £6billion a year.
Studies found that patients given the weekly vaccine lost a tenth of their body weight in just 20 weeks – 25 times more than those given a placebo – and ate about 35 percent fewer calories.
Overweight and obese participants who were given regular doses saw their chances of developing type 2 diabetes drop by up to 61 percent.
Obesity expert Alex Miras, a professor of endocrinology at Ulster University, said it will make a big difference for people living with obesity.
“This decision made by NICE is a pivotal moment in the treatment of people living with obesity,” he said, adding, “The weight loss that can be achieved with this safe drug is significant and will likely result in an improvement in that associated with obesity.” Complications result in a large number of patients.’
The drug is already being prescribed in much lower doses to treat patients with type 2 diabetes under the brand name Ozempic.
It has led celebrities Elon Musk and Jeremy Clarkson to publicly credit it with helping them shed the pounds.
Kim Kardashian is rumored to have quickly lost 15 pounds to fit in Marilyn Monroe’s iconic Happy Birthday Mr President dress at the 2022 Met Gala.
It is not without its side effects, however, as users often complain of nausea, constipation, and diarrhea after taking the drug.
It is also known to make the meal less appealing and potentially ruin the overall enjoyment of the meal.
Helen Knight, director of drug evaluation at NICE, said: “For some people, losing weight is a real challenge, which is why a drug like semaglutide is a welcome option.”
The nutritionist Dr. Duane Mellor, of Aston Medical School, Aston University, said: “It is important to remember that semaglutide works alongside and supports a healthy lifestyle and when people are offered semaglutide that they are also continually supported to make changes Make and maintain dietary and lifestyle changes.
“As all individuals initially offered semaglutide through the NHS will be supported by specialist weight management services, this should include support from a specialist dietician.”
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 servings of varied fruit and vegetables daily. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Base meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This equates to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole wheat biscuits, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, and 1 large baked potato with its skin on
• Have some dairy products or dairy alternatives (like soy drinks) and choose lower-fat, lower-sugar options
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water daily
• Adults should consume less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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