NO QUICK FIX
Don’t use skinny jabs to get ‘beach body ready’, doctors plead as NHS sees surge in Brits rushed to hospital
The stark warning of "life-threatening complications" comes just weeks before millions jet off on summer holiday
ENGLAND’S top doctor has warned people off using fat jabs to get “beach body ready” amid concerns slimmers are making themselves ill with drugs bought online.
NHS medics say increasing numbers of people are visiting A&E due to serious side effects of weight loss injections like Ozempic.
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Nausea and vomiting are common while taking the jabs but they can also cause more serious gut problems.
They are supposed to be prescription-only for medical purposes but are easy to buy privately for people looking to shed a few pounds.
NHS England’s medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “Drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy should only be used by people prescribed them for obesity or diabetes.
“I’m worried about reports that people are misusing them – they are not intended as a quick fix for people trying to get ‘beach body ready’.
READ MORE ON FAT JABS
“Buying medication online without a doctor’s supervision can lead to complications and dangerous consequences.”
The popularity of the jabs is booming after trials showed they cause rapid weight loss and may bring a raft of other health benefits.
They work by mimicking a fullness hormone in the gut and reducing your appetite.
Private demand, including from celebs like Jeremy Clarkson and Boris Johnson, has even squeezed NHS supplies.
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They can be bought online for about £150 per month or even from unlicensed beauticians.
Two thirds of Brits are overweight and three in 10 are obese.
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Dr Vicky Price, from the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “I and many other colleagues are very concerned about the increasing numbers of patients we are seeing with complications from new weight loss drugs they have purchased online.
“Sadly we are seeing serious, life-threatening complications including inflammation of the pancreas and alterations in blood salt levels in these patients who were not aware of the risk they were taking.
“There is a need for urgent regulation and control of access for weight loss drugs online to avoid more patients becoming unwell.”
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds.
In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits.
It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.
Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight.
To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.
GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food.
London GP and founder of , Dr Zoe Watson, said: “Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.
“These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.”
Aren’t they diabetes drugs?
Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients.
But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients.
Can I get them?
Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide.
Both are only available on Tier 3 and Tier 4 weight management services, which means you have to be referred to weight management clinics led by experts.
GPs can’t prescribe them on their own either, Dr Watson said.
The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed.
Despite being approved for use, supply of Wegovy on the NHS has been postponed indefinitely because of a surge in worldwide demand.
Supply was also halved in the US because of the skyrocketing demand.
Are there any risks?
Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, thyroid tumours, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
What other options are there?
Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024.
Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes.
The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.
Dr Mitra Dutt from says: “Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda.
“Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake."
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