WEIGHT-LOSS jabs are the most talked about drugs of the moment.
And with new studies popping up almost every week revealing more benefits of these powerful medicines, it’s no wonder appetite is high.
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The new fat-shedding jabs can help people drop up to a fifth of their body weight, plus, they lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease – just to name a few.
The drugs, which have been branded a ‘miracle’ by some work by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone released in the body when you are full.
It has several effects, including slowing down stomach emptying, acting on the brain to reduce appetite and boosting insulin, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
Like all drugs, the jabs aren’t without their side effects. Around half of people taking them suffer gut issues, including sickness, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and acid reflux.
In the UK, a GLP-1 drug called Ozempic, which is made from semaglutide, has been approved to treat people with type 2 diabetes.
If not managed properly, the disease can lead to chronic inflammation, and eye and nerve damage.
Inflammation is a natural part of the body’s defences, but too much can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease and various skin conditions.
More recently, another weight loss jab made from semaglutide called Wegovy, was approved for weight loss.
Saxenda and Tirzepatide also known by the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound, have also been approved for weight loss management.
Praise from celebs like Stephen Fry – including their wild before and after pics – has since brought the medicine widespread attention.
Meanwhile, just last week, health secretary Wes Streeting announced unemployed Brits could be given free weight-loss jabs as part of a new drive to get people back to work.
Wes admitted that “widening waistbands” are putting a huge strain on the NHS.
But he said that fat jabs could provide a two-pronged solution, both easing pressure on the ailing health service and encouraging the unemployed back into work.
But away from weight loss, here are all the other benefits scientists are claiming the jabs might have.
They could slash the risk of cancer…
Fat jabs could be the cancer hope everyone has been waiting for after scientists found they reduced the risk of tumours growing.
Experts at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio found obese people were 19 per cent less likely to get cancer if they used the injections than people who did not.
Another study by the same university analysed 1.2million people with type 2 diabetes and found their bowel cancer risk was halved if they used the GLP-1 drugs compared to only insulin.
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Other findings also suggest the injections’ rapid weight loss could help breast cancer survivors avoid relapse, which is more likely in fat patients.
Experts suggest about four in 10 cancers are linked to obesity, particularly bowel and breast tumours which are some of the most common.
Reduce the risk of heart disease…
The so-called skinny jabs could also cut your risk of heart disease, according to researchers.
Being a healthy weight can slash your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases like heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia.
That’s because carrying excess weight can lead to fatty substances building up in your arteries, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) warns.
If an artery carrying blood to the heart gets clogged, it can lead to high blood pressure, which can trigger a heart attack.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that taking the drug can lead to a smaller waistline and lower blood pressure.
And if the same thing happens in an artery carrying blood to the brain, this can cause a stroke.
So, perhaps it is hardly surprising that injections that can help you lose weight might also reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems.
One study found getting 2.4mg injections of semaglutide like Wegovy a week could reduce the risk of ‘major adverse cardiovascular events’ by 20 per cent.
That’s according to research conducted by the drugs maker Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy.
They can boost your lung health…
A growing body of evidence suggests the jabs can help people better fend off serious lung disease.
While the drug does not stop people from picking up infections, it does reduce your chances of getting seriously sick.
A study, published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology in 2024, found that among people who had Covid and who were also taking semaglutide were less likely to die.
Seperate evidence, published in Healio, found the drug can even help control asthma and reduce asthma attacks.
And might improve your mental health…
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Weight loss jabs might not only improve your physical health but your mental health too.
Earlier this year, an analysis of more than 4million people by medical records company Epic found GLP-1 medications resulted in a lower likelihood of depression and anxiety compared with people not on the drugs.
For instance, people without diabetes taking semaglutide were 37 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with depression, and 31 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with anxiety.
Improved blood sugar control or weight loss might explain these mental health benefits. There is a well-established link between obesity and depression.
However, some researchers such as Rodrigo Mansur at the University of Toronto, Canada, think there might be more to it.
After all, GLP-1s aren’t only produced in the gut – they are also made in the brain.
To test this, Rodrigo ran a small study in 2017, giving weight loss jabs to 19 people who wasn’t necessarily overweight, but had major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.
Within a month, they reported better mood, attention span and cognitive function.
The participants didn’t lose any significant weight, suggesting they weren’t feeling better simply because they were slimmer, the expert said.
They could slow down ageing…
People who take weight-loss injections might even live longer, scientists hope.
Some trials, which are happening now, are looking into whether drugs such as semaglutide can slow down the ageing process.
Published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology, the newest research shows semaglutide could have “far-reaching benefits beyond what we initially imagined”.
That’s according to Professor Harlan M Krumholz from the Yale School of Medicine, who is quoted in multiple reports as saying: “Is it a fountain of youth?”
The researchers found participants who took semaglutide died at a lower rate from all causes, as well as from cardiovascular causes and Covid-19.
The drug was also found to improve heart failure symptoms.
Meanwhile, users have been sharing their experiences of side effects dubbed ‘Ozempic face’ – a term used to describe the wrinkled and sagging skin due to swift weight loss.
And might help people give up drugs, cigarettes or booze…
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Weight loss jabs can help crush drug cravings as well as curbing people’s desire to eat.
The jabs are known to promote feelings of fullness and, it seems, dampen the reward centre associated not only with food but also other addictive substances.
A Penn University study found liraglutide, a fat jab which uses a different hormone, was as good as a fortnight in rehab for people addicted to painkillers.
Tests on 20 people recovering from opioid addictions revealed patients who took the jabs once a day rated cravings 40 per cent lower than those having rehab.
While some patients experienced no cravings at all.
Earlier studies on rodents suggested the treatment could also work for nicotine and cocaine addiction.
Other scientists are looking into its effects on alcohol addiction.
The idea came about after people given GLP-1 drugs for diabetes reported reductions in their booze consumption.
They could even cure snoring…
Scientists say the fat-blasting jabs can silence snoring by treating an underlying health condition called sleep apnoea.
It occurs when your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, causing you to gasp, snore, and wake up spluttering throughout the night.”
Around 10million Brits are thought to have it, according to the Sleep Apnoea Trust.
Being overweight or obese can increase a person’s risk of the condition by narrowing the airways.
After conducting two studies on adults with obesity and sleep apnoea, drug maker Eli Lilly claimed its fat jab Mounjaro could cut down the number of times people had breathing issues during the night.
At the same time, those taking the weight loss drug also shed about 18 per cent of their body weight, which the pharma giant has said could be directly behind the reduction in nighttime disturbances.
And they could boost fertility…
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Some US physicians have started prescribing fat jabs off-label to treat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one of the leading causes of infertility in women.
Jab users have since taken to online forums with hundreds of members sharing how they got pregnant what they’ve dubbed as ‘Ozempic babies’ thanks to the injections.
Previously, specialists have suggested slimming down may boost fertility, which is why semaglutide is being linked to pregnancies.
Fat cells produce oestrogen which can harm fertility if your levels get too high, stopping regular menstruation and ovulation.
Therefore by losing just a few pounds, levels of the hormone could be lowered to healthy levels.
The risk of infertility is three-fold higher in obese women than in non-obese ones, research shows.
The effect may be particularly marked for women with PCOS.
A study involving 27 obese patients diagnosed with PCOS found that after six months of taking semaglutide, they lost an average of 25lbs (11.5kg) and had more regular periods, suggesting their PCOS was improving.
The condition causes cysts to develop on the ovaries, leading to wide-ranging hormonal symptoms and weight gain.
Women with PCOS often struggle to conceive naturally.
However, British scientists have recently warned these jabs could cause birth defects and should not be taken within two months of trying to conceive.
They could keep your memory in good shape…
Weight-loss jabs could also do wonders for your brain, research shows.
A new study, from Imperial College London found one of the injections reduced brain shrinkage and slowed memory loss.
In a trial on 204 UK patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s, half were given the drug liraglutide, sold under the brand name Saxenda, and half received a placebo.
After a year, the weight jab patients had an 18 per cent slower decline in their brain function compared to the untreated patients.
MRI scans showed they also lost 50 per cent less brain tissue.
Authors said it is likely the drug reduces inflammation in the brain which is known to increase the risk of dementia.
And they might treat fatty liver and kidney disease…
The “magic” jabs might also protect against other serious diseases, including kidney disease.
Research on more than 3,500 people that was followed up for more than three years found the injections appear to have a “profound clinical impact” on a host of common diseases.
Clear links between obesity and kidney disease have long been established, with excess weight found to double the chance of kidney stones and increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.
About one in 10 people in the UK suffer from chronic kidney disease, with risk rising with age.
It can require kidney replacement and prove deadly.
Scientists presenting the results at the ERA (European Renal Association) Congress in Stockholm this year, said participants on the jabs saw a 24 per cent fall in their risk of kidney problems.
Meanwhile, researchers believe the drug could also help treat fatty liver disease.
The cancer-causing disease is most commonly seen in individuals who are overweight or obese, and, or have type 2 diabetes.
Fatty liver disease, as the name suggests, refers to an increased build-up of fat inside the liver.
There are currently no medicines to specifically treat the condition – but experts believe fat jabs might be the answer.
Scientists are still examining the effectiveness of semaglutide for the condition, but in recent years, some studies have found promising results.
In a 2023 research review, scientists from India found that 24 weeks of semaglutide significantly improved liver health of people with fatty liver disease.
Zepbound shows promise as a treatment for fatty liver disease, according to its manufacturer Eli Lilly.
Mid-stage trials found almost three quarters of patients with the condition eradicated it after 52 weeks of taking the drug, compared to just 13 per cent of people taking a placebo.
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds.
In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits.
It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.
Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight.
To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.
GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food.
London GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing.com, Dr Zoe Watson, said: “Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.
“These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.”
Aren’t they diabetes drugs?
Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients.
But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients.
Can I get them?
Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide.
Both are only available throught specialist weight management services, which means you have to be referred to clinics led by experts.
GPs can’t prescribe them on their own, Dr Watson said.
The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed.
Are there any risks?
Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
What other options are there?
Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024.
Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes.
The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.
Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: “Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda.
“Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake.”
