At least 1.6 million adults in the UK have used weight-loss injections over the past year, while a further 3.3 million people have expressed interest in accessing the treatment in the next 12 months, according to new research.

The findings raise concerns about potential supply pressures, particularly as most users have obtained GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro through private prescriptions rather than the National Health Service (NHS).


The study, described as the largest review of its kind and led by researchers at the University of Oxford, found that although weight-loss jabs have transformed obesity treatment, other interventions such as dietary changes and surgery may offer better long-term outcomes.

Published in BMC Medicine in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, the research also revealed that women were twice as likely as men to use the injections. Usage was higher among middle-aged individuals and those reporting recent psychological distress.


Researchers further noted that one in seven people using weight-loss jabs for weight reduction alone were taking medications not licensed for that purpose.

Professor Sarah Jackson, a behavioural scientist at University College London and the study’s lead author, said the scale of usage far exceeded NHS England’s initial target of prescribing the drugs to 220,000 people over three years. (www.dailymail.co.uk)