A weight loss jab may soon be part of UK's NHS. Study finds it can help you lose up to 15kgs

A new drug can potentially help obese people with weight-related health issues lose weight. Semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy, decreases hunger by making people feel full. When used along with a healthy diet and exercise, it helped obese people lose 10 per cent of their body weight - about two stones (13 kg) on average.

The drug has been recommended for implementation on the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

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Guidelines for England and Wales from NICE, which have not yet been finalised, recommend that a specialist prescribe it to obese adults with at least one weight-related health issue such as high blood pressure or heart disease for a maximum of two years.

Almost 2,000 people participated in a 15-month trial of this drug that showed weight loss of an average of 15kg.

Scientists believe the results could usher in a new era of obesity treatment with even more therapies on the horizon.

Kent resident Jan lost 28kg (four stone), about a fifth of her body weight. I changed my approach to food completely after taking the drug, she said.

Her experience with dieting left her miserable, but taking the drug was completely different as it made her less hungry.

However, now Jan has come off the trial her appetite has returned and she is putting weight back on. According to her, it seemed effortless to lose weight while on the trial, but now she feels like she is constantly fighting with food.

Semaglutide is already used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, but in this trial, higher doses were tested.

In the trial, some people received an injection of the drug, while others received a placebo, while both groups were given lifestyle advice.

People on semaglutide lost an average of 15kg compared with 2.6kg without, according to results published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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The risk of heart disease, diabetes, and severe COVID-19 can be decreased by losing weight.

Treatment side effects included nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, and constipation. Additionally, there are five-year studies being conducted to see if weight loss can be sustained on a long-term basis.