There’s a pill for that...

 

The world is getting fatter

In the UK, two thirds of adults are now classified as being either overweight or obese. The direct causes of this are obvious; an increased calorie consumption in the face of a reduction in calorie expenditure (physical activity).

The developed world is in a state of net calorie surplus. The underlying drivers of this, however, are multifacited and complex. Shifts in our patterns of living over generations now present individuals with societal norms stacked in favour of gaining weight.

This is a problem. Obesity-related disease (type 2 diabetes, heart disease, most cancers, accelerated arthritic change…the list is long) is costly for both individuals and society. Additional healthcare costs related to obesity ran to £6.1 billion in 2019, and this without factoring lost economic activity.

As ever, prevention is better than cure; it is far more effective to treat the patient before they have the disease. Public health measures to date, however, are clearly not working.

weight-loss

It is therefore with great interest that I follow the development of medications for weight loss. The most exciting of these are new drugs that mimic the action of GLP-1, a gut hormone. GLP-1 is released after meals and essentially tells our brain that we are full. Available as pills, but more effective in injectable form, you might view GLP-1 mimics as powerful aids to your own will-power. They are costly (though not as costly as developing diabetes) and will soon be available within the NHS for those meeting specific criteria. 

These new drugs divide opinion. I too find myself torn; perhaps based on a misplaced belief that maintaining a healthy weight fundamentally requires hard work and “going without”.  Should it? With the causes of obesity being complex, we will undoubtedly need a range of approaches. Perhaps these medications will become one of them?

Dr Chris Humphrey

Published: Nov 28, 2024

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