A staggering 64% of adults in England are classed as either overweight or obese according to the most recent NHS figures. And with those numbers continuing to rise, interest in new treatments and ‘weight loss jabs’ has never been higher. But misinformation and myths surrounding these medications are rife, which is unsurprising when you realise that, according to a new survey, the Numan State of Obesity Report , 26 per cent of us have learnt all we know about medications like Mounjaro and Wegovy through social media.
Alarmingly, this figure is double the number getting their information from the NHS (13%) or direct from their GP (7%). So what are the biggest myths that surround these treatments, and what does anyone who is considering trying them need to know? Medications that are licensed for weight management in the obese, like Wegovy and Mounjaro, are gaining popularity, but some remain sceptical of their safety. “While it’s natural to be cautious around new treatments, the fact is that these medications have a very long history of use already,” says GP Dr Bryony Henderson, obesity management expert and medical director at Numan .
“There are over 10 million patient years of data for the use of for the use of Ozempic which, like Wegovy, is a GLP1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) receptor agonist . These injections are a synthetic form of a hormone we naturally release when eating that stimulates insulin release, thereby controlling blood sugar levels, and slowing the sp.