No More Waiting For Weight Control?

Obesity is rampant in a number of developed countries. Being overweight, carries many health risks. It increases the probability of coronary heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes (with its effects on vision and possible amputations). Obesity, consequencely, annually costs the UK's National Health Service (NHS) enormous amounts of money. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have just approved prescribing Semaglutide (marketed as Wegovy) to treat some obese patients in England (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/08/gamechanging-weight-loss-drug-made-available-nhs-semaglutide-obesity). NICE have approved Semaglutide for patients with a Body Mass Index of at least 35. These individuals must also have at least one weight-related medical condition, such as obstructive sleep apnoea or heart disease. Semaglutide is self-administered weekly with a pen injector (like adrenalin). It has been found to produce an average weight fall of 12% in a year. Prescribing the drug seems a good move but it seems likely that many people, who to do not meet the criteria, will be clamouring for this medication. Perhaps dietary fads and gastric bands will become relics of the past?