Interest in weight-loss jabs is surging – here’s what semaglutide does to your body ...Middle East

Interest in weight-loss products continues to surge as calls come for a faster rollout of treatments on the NHS.

Research by Harley Street Skin Clinic found semaglutide – sold under the brand names Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes – is the most searched weight-loss medication, with over 16 million Google searches last year.

But how do they work?

Patients inject themselves weekly with the drug, originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, which mimics the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released after eating.

This makes people feel full, meaning they eat less and lose weight. Studies have found that people who are given the drug, manufactured by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, saw their weight drop by up to 15 per cent on average after 68 weeks.

It has been hailed as a “game-changer” in the battle against obesity.

In the UK, Ozempic is primarily prescribed for individuals with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar levels are not well controlled with other medications – it is not prescribed to people looking to lose a few pounds.

Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says the drug Wegovy will only be offered on the NHS to adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index (BMI) score of at least 35.

Anyone with a BMI score of between 30 and 39.9 is classified as obese (40 and over is in the “severely obese” range).

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The weight-related conditions that make obese people eligible include type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia (unbalanced or unhealthy cholesterol levels), obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease.

In some cases, people with a BMI of 30 and over may be able to access the drug, which is given via a pen injector.

People will only be given Wegovy on prescription as part of a specialist weight management service involving input from several professionals, and for a maximum of two years. It is to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, Nice said.

In July 2024, Wegovy was also approved to help lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in people diagnosed with heart and circulatory diseases, who also have a BMI classed as overweight or obese.

It is the first obesity drug doctors are allowed to prescribe specifically to reduce the risk of heart and circulatory disease in people living with excess weight or obesity, according to the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The side effects of weight-loss jabs

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that nausea and diarrhoea were the most common side effects of semaglutide, but these were “typically transient and mild to moderate in severity and subsided with time”. Other side effects can include constipation and headaches.

With 10.4 million searches in the last 12 months, tirzepatide is another highly sought-after weight-loss medication that showed such promising results – clinical trials showed people on the treatment lost up to 20 per cent of body weight – it has been dubbed the “King Kong of weight-loss jabs”.

Sold under the brand name Mounjaro, it is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning it targets two key hormone pathways to enhance insulin sensitivity, suppress appetite, and promote weight loss. It was also originally approved for type 2 diabetes, and its potential for weight management has made it a rival to semaglutide.

Mounjaro has been made available on the NHS but millions of people will have to wait several years to get hold of it as the health service tries to manage demand.

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The unexpected benefits of weight loss jabs - and the downsides

Finishing the top three most popular weight-loss product searches is Orlistat with over 8.4 million Google searches annually. Orlistat is a long-established weight-loss medication that prevents dietary fat absorption in the digestive tract. Unlike semaglutide and tirzepatide, orlistat does not affect appetite but instead blocks enzymes that break down fat, leading to reduced calorie intake.

Available by prescription (Xenical) and over the counter (Alli), it is often used with a low-fat diet. While effective, orlistat can cause unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects, including oily stools and increased bowel movements, making dietary adjustments essential for tolerability, the Harley Street report states.

Despite their fast-acting results and increasing popularity, some charities have raised concerns about weight-loss jabs. Eating disorder charity Beat has said medications like semaglutide can be extremely attractive to people with eating disorders as they appear to provide quick results.

However, a spokesman said these medications can be very dangerous as they can worsen harmful thoughts and behaviours for those unwell, or contribute to an eating disorder developing for someone who is already vulnerable.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists said some messaging framing semaglutide as a quick-fix weight-loss aid “may act as a potential trigger for those living with an eating disorder and poses a real danger for abuse of the medication by those for whom there is no clinical need to use it”. It has called for measures put in place for safeguards regarding high street availability of the medication, to ensure appropriate prescribing.

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One thing for certain is that demand is not slowing down. The global market for obesity drugs is projected to skyrocket to £80bn by 2030, a dramatic increase from £3bn in 2023, with more products certain to come onto the market.

Around 1.5 million people a month in Britain are already paying privately for weight-loss jabs as demand for the drugs continues to soar, the head of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said last week. Olivier Picard said the number – much higher than previously thought – was a clear sign of ample stock in the system, and that pharmacists stood “ready and able” to provide the jabs on the NHS.

His call came as reports suggest the Government is set to announce trials that would see the medication made available following a short, over the counter consultation for the price of an NHS prescription. The NPA said the move would ensure the drugs are not restricted to those who can afford to pay to get them privately.

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