One in five people would use obesity drugs if they were free

One in five people in the UK would use a weight-loss drug if it was free on the NHS, according to new polling that also shows one in seven have either taken a jab themselves or know somebody else who has.

- Denis Campbell

However, almost a quarter of people would not tell others they were using the treatment, suggesting that the growing popularity of "fat jabs" comes with a degree of stigma.

Drugs such as semaglutide, which is better known as Wegovy or Ozempic, are booming in popularity as people around the world turn to them to shed unwanted pounds.

Such glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are proven to aid weight loss, help type 2 diabetics manage their blood sugar levels and prevent heart attacks and strokes.

The pollsters Ipsos surveyed a representative sample of 2,161 UK adults aged 18-75 between 13 and 17 December about their attitudes to and experiences of weight-loss drugs.

Overall 22% said they would be fairly or very likely to use such injections if they were provided by the NHS.

However, 63% said they would not use them even then.

Still fewer people - just 8% - would use the drugs if they had to pay for them themselves, given they cost in the region of £200 a month, on average, to buy privately.