Labour should invest in weight loss medications immediately

The massive increase in obesity is mainly down to the environment we live in. We need to ban junk food advertising, label upfs better, tax unhealthy food (like the sugar tax) etc.

@Ereyraa It has been proven that fatshaming does not work. It is not going to help anybody. I honestly think that the situation is so entrenched that it would take a long time to reverse the whole problem. The Government could start by tackling the food companies that have been allowed to poison people with all these UPF's etc.

No (and I say that as an overweight person).
For the majority of us fatties, we need to eat less and move more, it’s not rocket salad.
Fruit and veg is perfectly cheap enough.
I’m fat because I spend too much time sitting on my arse.
There are far more important things for the money to be spent on.

That's not true. There's not a supply problem for those paying for it.

So she needs to persist permanently on a starvation diet - as that is truly the only way she doesn’t gain weight? Jog on.

Metabolic issues are very real. She is intelligent and motivated. She works so bloody hard to stand still.

Having grown up with her I assure you we all ate the same very healthy diet (our mother is a healthcare professional). Do you really think a toddler is in control of their food choices?

@Ereyraa How dare you??? My weight gain is due to being prescribed Steroids due to a life limiting disease.

Reported

dementia’s leading cause is Type 2 diabetes.

Incorrect. See attached

Tim Spector?

And if only there were fixed agreement (beyond Zoe which is Spector's conflict of interest) on what constitutes a healthy diet (different people, life stages, cultural preferences). And if only there were some indication that people who are obese developed obesity because of their consumption of "junk"…

According to some expert in today’s Times, people should be put on the drug only if they agree to follow a healthy diet, and don’t just carry on eating junk, but less of it.

Well, it’s not a few. It’s 1 in 3 adults.

I think the NHS should prescribe Wegovy to anyone with an obese BMI. I have watched my sister struggle and struggle to control her weight. Genes play a huge role - two female siblings were comfortably BMI <20 and hers was well over 30. Growing up she clearly had so much more food “noise” than us, she was obese from toddlerhood with the same parents, same meals and same upbringing.

The playing field is NOT level when it comes to losing weight. We don’t tell people with mental health to go without the medication that makes their brains work properly; we don’t tell arthritis sufferers to suck it up and deny themselves painkillers and steroids. The science IS catching up and it’s simply really really hard for a portion of the population to maintain a steady normal BMI.

I absolutely believe that the vast array of ready meals, UPF's, and takeaways, that people do not even need to leave their home for, are at the heart of what we are seeing today. Food is too readily available, and the quality of it is highly questionable. It is full of chemicals, additives, and other unpronounceable things. People need to be educated, this is a national problem, and needs to be treated as a Governmental health crisis.

Even IF it was the obesity that caused the heart attack (because thin people have them so how are we to know)..that doesn’t mean that you know the fat person’s story.

Really? You don't know how you'd eat that much? What do you think people are eating to put on weight?

If you put on 1lb a week ( which is 3500 calories over what you need, 500 calories a day, in my case that's eating 1900 calories a day) you would gain 52 lbs in a year. It's easily done actually.

A non-free system hasn’t really helped with obesity in the USA has it 🙄

Regulating UPF would be much more effective and sustainable

Yes, if excess body fat was a simple problem do deal then it wouldn't affect such a large proportion of the population.
Animals are programmed by evolution to eat as much food as is available to them, combine that with modern foods which are designed to be as compelling and additive as possible. That's why so many people struggle.

Depending on what you mean by "a healthy weight," (obesity vs overweight) it's something that is proving difficult and elusive to between 26-50+ % of the adult population. The consequences of this cover a substantial range for individuals and more widely.

They treat you with dignity to your face…

if a massively obese person has a heart attack, it’s clear what the issue is

It IS difficult to maintain weight loss contrary to this thread. Evolution and science says so.

Are there still supply issues? I knew that there was last year but thought that had ended now.

And supply will catch up eventually anyway. they are selling a product that the world wants lots more of. they will do everything they can to supply this.

So what is the point of ALL the threads saying the same thing over and over and over again?

All the usual comments. So many wanting to blame and punish, thinking people are lazy, stupid and disgusting. A lot of othering.
Fat people pay taxes too.
For many people who are very heavy overeating is actually not just a choice it a a problem they cannot conquer. Nobody chooses to be very overweight with all the shame that is given to it. It is entirely possible to want something very much but to have complex reasons which stop you achieving what you want.
Many people make what some are describing as lifestyle choices which can then cause illness or injury necessitating nhs care. People who drive too fast. People who take part in sports especially high risk sports. People who go exploring. People who have unsafe sex. People who have very high numbers of babies. People who sunbathe or use sunbeds. People who have cheap cosmetic surgery. People who don’t follow advice to manage their chronic health condition. Where does judgement end? And why is there sympathy for anorexia and bulimia but not for those who cannot control their eating to a degree their weight seriously impacts their health? I don’t mean just those who are a little overweight but people whose entire life is being ruined by their inability to manage their eating. Why is that worse than under eating?
Fat is always the favourite whipping boy.
As science gains more information on the causes of serious over eating and severe weight gain more help will hopefully become available but much of society is very angry that those they see as disgusting get any help at all.

There is not enough supply. Not even everyone willing and able to pay privately can currently get access to the weight loss drugs. The manufacturers can’t keep up with demand.

the government could put in an order for millions of doses, but it would be meaningless.