By Sam Blanchard, Health Correspondent
THEY are arguably the biggest medical breakthrough of recent times.
And now, so-called ‘fat jabs’ are available to many more Brits on the NHS.
In what marks the dawn of a new era, GPs have begun prescribing the weight loss jab Mounjaro in the first anti-obesity rollout of its kind.
More than three million people are thought to be eligible for tirzepatide – the active drug in Mounjaro – the strongest jab on the market.
Health chiefs hope it will turn the tide on England’s obesity crisis which has seen rates double since the 1990s.
Injections including Ozempic and Wegovy have previously only been available for type 2 diabetes or through specialist slimming clinics.
Family doctors will now be encouraged to prescribe them in a bid to get more people on the meds.
Experts hope widespread use will slash work sick days and boost the economy, while reducing rates of cancer, heart disease and dementia.
But demand for the drugs is already huge and NHS clinics cannot dish them out fast enough.
Who is eligible in the new rollout?
The new rollout allows GPs to prescribe tirzepatide for weight loss, starting with those patients whose weight places them at greatest health risk.
Top of the list will be those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher (or 37.5 if from a minority ethnic background) and four weight-related health conditions.
A BMI of 40 is roughly equal to weighing 16st (102kg) for an average height 5’3” woman, or 19st 6lbs (123kg) for an average 5’9” man.
Weight-related conditions include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease.
Patients will likely be expected to have tried diet and exercise first before being offered a jab.
Many are likely to miss out, as some 13.5million adults in England are obese but only 3.4million are estimated to be eligible in the rollout.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “Currently only patients who meet certain criteria – those who could benefit most – are eligible to be prescribed weight loss drugs on the NHS, and GPs will also need to follow local guidelines when prescribing.
“If your practice advises you that they won’t be able to provide weight loss medication, these will likely be the reasons why.
“We appreciate the idea of weight loss medication is an attractive prospect to many patients – and they do have a lot of potential benefits for patients and may be a valuable tool as we try to tackle obesity at a national level – but it’s important these medications aren’t seen as a silver bullet.
“Weight loss drugs do not come without risk, they can cause side effects which range in seriousness, and they won’t be suitable for everyone.
“It’s important we don’t lose sight of the role lifestyle factors play in achieving a healthy weight.
“The roll out of weight loss medications as a treatment for obesity must not come at the expense of other weight loss services.”
If you are eligible but your GP denies you a prescription, you may be able to ask for a referral to specialist weight management services.
Known as tier 2 and tier 3 weight management services, they may prescribe the jabs after other weight loss attempts.
Many people are expected to find it easier to go private, with the injections widely available from high street pharmacies like Boots, Superdrug, and even Asda.
There are also numerous online pharmacies offering the drugs.
Buying the drugs online might seem like the faster fix – but buyer beware.
Slimming success stories are everywhere but so, too, are tales of horror.
Many patients have been duped by dodgy sellers, suffered severe side effects or even died after taking jabs they bought online.
Bargain prices, easy tick-box applications, or prescriptions with no follow-up, should all be red flags to online shoppers.
