NHS Doctor explains Why So Many Brits are Obese

Professor Naveed Sattar, the Government’s leader on obesity healthcare goals has revealed the real reason why so many Brits are obese.

NHS Doctor explains Why So Many Brits are Obese f

"Many people still think individuals are lazy or greedy."

Professor Naveed Sattar, who is charged with helping Brits lose weight, revealed the real reason why so many people are obese.

He suggested that it is wrong to assume people are “lazy or greedy” and Brits should instead consider the genes they have for appetite.

It comes as approximately 3.4 million adults in the UK are now eligible for weight loss drugs on the NHS – with one in three people considered overweight.

On BBC One’s Panorama: Weight Loss Jabs and the NHS, Professor Sattar said it is more difficult for some to resist unhealthy foods than others.

He said: “Many people still think individuals are lazy or greedy.

“The reality is our genes for appetite have not changed over the last 50 years. But what has changed is the environment.

“So we’ve made it far too easy for people to consume too many calories.

“I think it’s genes. The genes dictate your ability to withstand food. If you ask 99% of people living with obesity, do they want to be living with obesity, the answer is no.

“They’ve tried their best within the context of their lives to not be overweight or living with obesity, but they haven’t managed.”

Professor Barbra McGowan, clinical lead for obesity at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust, suggested people need to actively decide to change their behaviours to prevent becoming obese.

She said: “I think it’s important to say to patients that the drug will help you to get there, but it’s really, really important that behaviours are changed, that lifestyle is changed, that diet is changed.”

It has been revealed that weight loss drugs “could bankrupt the NHS” if all eligible patients were to be prescribed them.

Around 3.4 million Brits meet the criteria to receive a prescription for Wegovy and Mounjaro which would cost £10 billion a year.

Weight loss jabs contain semaglutide which mimics a gut hormone that sends signals to our brain telling us we are full and slows the transit of food through the stomach.

Wegovy and Mounjaro can help people lose between 10 to 25% of their body weight.

Research indicates that Mounjaro leads to more weight loss than Wegovy with an average of about 25% after one year, compared to Wegovy’s 16%.

Wegovy treatment is limited to two years but Mounjaro has no limits on how long patients can use it.

But the NHS is rolling out Mounjaro over the course of 12 years due to concerns it may overwhelm services.

In the next three years, it is estimated that 220,000 people in England will benefit out of the 3.4 million who are eligible.

Lead Editor Dhiren is our news and content editor who loves all things football. He also has a passion for gaming and watching films. His motto is to "Live life one day at a time".




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