Obesity rates in the UK could soon start to decline, with weight loss injections leading the charge, according to industry experts.
Simple Online Pharmacy, a major online supplier of weight loss drugs, reports that an increasing number of people are using effective medications, such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, to manage their weight. The company estimates that 500,000 people in the UK are currently on these treatments, which can help users lose 15% to 20% of their body weight in a few months.
Rebecca Moore, the company’s chief operating officer, predicts that around a million people could reverse their obesity within the next year. “We are at a point where we believe the rates are starting to decline,” she said. “By the end of this year, we expect a significant drop in obesity.”
Simple Online Pharmacy has already provided treatments to 200,000 people, who have collectively lost a total of 600 tonnes. The demand for these medications is rising by 10% to 40% each month. To keep up with demand, the company has built a walk-in fridge to store enough medication to supply 400 patients every hour.
“The narrative has shifted in recent months,” Moore added. “People are now acknowledging that obesity is a chronic condition. They’re also recognizing that this medication is a revolutionary, once-in-a-generation technology.”
In the UK, the latest NHS figures show that 27% of adults in England are obese, up from 15% in 1993. While the rates have plateaued in recent years, partly due to public health measures like the sugar tax, the introduction of weight loss medications is expected to have a significant impact. Similar treatments have already begun reversing obesity trends in the US, and experts expect the same in the UK.
However, access to these medications remains limited, especially within the NHS. While private patients make up 95% of those using the drugs, costing around £150 per month, only 800 patients had been prescribed Wegovy in NHS clinics four months after its rollout in December 2023—just 6% of the anticipated number. Last month, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) restricted access to Mounjaro, allowing only 200,000 of the 3.4 million eligible patients to receive it in the first three years of the program.
Sarah Le Brocq, founder of All About Obesity, criticized the NHS’s limited access. “It’s hugely frustrating that so many patients who need these treatments are being denied,” she said. “The NHS can’t fund these drugs without extra government funding. The wealthy can afford the treatment, but those who truly need it are left behind.”
Some patients are going to extreme lengths to get the medication they need. Angela Chesworth, who suffered from severe abdominal pain due to obesity-related complications, had to conduct a ‘clinical trial’ on herself to prove the drug’s effectiveness. Her consultant agreed that her weight was exacerbating her condition, but he was unable to prescribe the treatment. After starting Mounjaro injections last summer, her abdominal cramps have significantly reduced, and the NHS has now agreed to fund her treatment.
“When you know something could help, but can’t get access because of money or bureaucratic rules, it’s frustrating,” Chesworth said. “I want to contribute to society, but it’s hard when you’re being told no, especially by medical professionals.”
Her husband, Paul, is still paying for his treatment privately, despite being on the verge of developing type 2 diabetes. After three months on the medication, he has lost two stone and is now in better health.
“I want to be healthy for as long as I can,” Paul said. “My father spent the last 15 years of his life struggling with poor health. I don’t want to end up like that.”
A Department of Health spokesperson stated that new drugs recommended by NICE must be funded within existing NHS budgets. The spokesperson also emphasized that the government is focusing on both treatment and prevention as part of its 10-Year Health Plan to tackle obesity.
As demand for weight loss injections continues to grow, both the public and private sectors face mounting pressure to ensure that more people can access these potentially life-changing treatments.
