- A leading British doctor has warned people against using weight-loss drugs in an attempt to get a “beach body”.
- Stephen Powis said drugs like Ozempic should not be seen as a “quick fix”.
- The popularity of these drugs, marketed as diabetes treatments, has soared in the last year.
One of the UK’s top doctors has warned people against taking weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic in a bid to get a “beach body” for summer, saying they should not be seen as a “quick fix”.
Stephen Powis, medical director for England’s National Health Service (NHS), warned that the drugs must be taken under proper medical supervision and could cause dangerous side effects. London Times report.
Mr Powis told the NHS Confederation conference: “We know these new drugs can be a powerful weapon in the fight against obesity, but they should not be abused. Buying medicines online without a doctor’s supervision can lead to complications and dangerous outcomes.”
“Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegoby should only be used by people who have been prescribed them to treat obesity or diabetes. We are concerned by reports that people are misusing these drugs. These drugs are not intended as a quick fix for people wanting to get a ‘beach body’.”
Vicky Price, an acute care physician and president-elect of the Society of Acute Medicine, said some of the more dangerous potential side effects of weight loss drugs bought online include “serious and life-threatening complications” such as “inflammation of the pancreas and changes to salt levels in the blood”.
Despite this, the popularity of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegoby has soared in the last year.
The surge in sales of Ozempic has led to the manufacturer, Denmark’s Novo Nordisk Europe’s largest company by market capitalization.
This has also had a significant impact on Denmark’s GDP, with GDP increasing by around 2% in 2023.
Statistics Denmark said the growth was mainly driven by the pharmaceutical industry.
“The pharmaceutical industry remains the main driver of the Danish economy in the fourth quarter and throughout 2023,” the agency said. “Other industries and business services also contributed to developments in the fourth quarter.”
Ozempic’s active ingredient, semaglutide, works by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone produced in the gut to balance blood sugar levels and make you feel full.
But the weekly injections are costly, costing buyers about $1,000 a month for the drug.
There are currently three semaglutide products approved in the US: Food and Drug Administration — Ozempic injection, Wegovy injection, and Rybelsus tablets.
All three are available only by prescription.
