Major UK supermarket launches its own £129-a-month fat jab club - but some shoppers are not impressed
The chain says tirzepatide injections, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, can help users shed up to 20 per cent of their body weight.
But this has led to some shoppers pointing out what they perceive as the chain's hypocrisy in selling fatty and sugary food and then in turn charging customers triple figures to help them lose weight, The Sun reports.
One shopper said: 'This seems so unethical' whilst another added: 'You can buy your fatty and sugary foods and then a magic jab to make the results go away.'
Another called the idea 'genius', saying: 'The store sells you unhealthy grub that gets you fat, then wants vast sums of money to get you thin.'
Another added: 'How funny! Stuff your face with a six-pack of doughnuts, a multipack of Walkers crisps, a few sausage rolls followed by a tub of Ben & Jerry's - and then for the privilege of parting with £129 you might lose weight! Oh my days.'
On its clinic website, the chain says the self-injectable pen design can be used once a week and to be used consistently.
Morrisons Clinic: 'Our approach to weight-loss treatments is based on three core factors, designed with your long-term health as our priority.
'Our expert prescribing pharmacists are specially trained to review, consult and provide medications online. Your healthcare journey is in safe hands.
'Our services are delivered by a team of dedicated pharmacists, prescribers and clinicians.'
Morrisons Clinic says the sign-up fee will rise to £159-a-month after the offer period.
It comes as previously reported that the UK medicines regulator has launched a probe into the safety of fat jabs after hundreds of Britons developed pancreatitis, leaving ten dead.
Officials are examining whether those affected have a genetic trait that leaves them at greater risk of side-effects from the likes of Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it has received more than 560 reports of people developing an inflamed pancreas after taking so-called 'GLP-1' injections since they were first launched. Ten cases proved fatal.
These drugs are typically known as 'fat jabs' or 'skinny jabs' as they are frequently used for weight management, but some are primarily licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
The MHRA is now calling for users who are admitted to hospital with pancreatitis to report the side effect to authorities using the regulator's Yellow Card scheme.
Healthcare workers can also submit a report on patients' behalf.
When a Yellow Card report is received, the MHRA will contact patients to ask if they would be willing to take part in the new Biobank study, in collaboration with Genomics England.
This would involve providing further information and submitting a saliva sample which will be used to explore whether some people are at a higher risk of acute pancreatitis when taking these medicines due to their genetic makeup.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Inquest into Tenbury Wels care home push death opens
An inquest into the death of a care home resident, who died as a result of being pushed by another resident, will explore whether processes for discharging patients from hospital amid pressures of the Covid pandemic had an Medlicott, 77, died on 3 May 2020 in hospital, 10 days after suffering a head injury at Haresbrook Park Care Home in Tenbury inquest at Worcestershire Coroner's Court heard Ms Medlicott had advanced dementia and had previously been discharged from Ross-on-Wye Community other resident, known as Mr X, also had dementia, the court heard. West Mercia Police said an investigation took place but there were no criminal charges and the case was was heard on Monday from nursing staff at Ross-on-Wye Community Hospital, who said guidance about the process of discharging patients changed during aimed at getting hospital beds free as quickly as possible and went to a "discharge-to-assess" framework, which saw a less detailed assessment done in hospital, and waited for patients to be in the community to assess their needs coroner David Reid heard how Ms Medlicott's daughter, Karen Rosser, expressed concerns that she was not involved in assessments done while her mother was a patient at the hospital.A statement read out by Ms Rosser's representative described Ms Medlicott as having a "wicked sense of humour" and someone who would "fix everyone's problems"."As her dementia worsened she became afraid, which was alien to who she was," the court inquest is expected to last 10 days and Mr Reid said it aimed to explore the background of both residents and the care they received before and during their time in the care home. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
Malnourished girl known to social services 'most of her life'
A malnourished 13-year-old girl who weighed about two stone (13.8kg) had been known to social services for most of her life, a councillor has Renner-Thompson, from Northumberland County Council, said despite that, the teenager's health worsened when her situation "took a very quick turn".His comments were made following a safeguarding review about the girl, known in the report as Sophia, which found she had suffered from levels of malnutrition "not seen in the UK".Renner-Thompson said Sophia had been "on-and-off social services" but her poor health was not spotted for a number of reasons, including her school being closed during the pandemic. "It really was in the last couple of years where things took a turn, you know - to do with her school not being open during the pandemic, transitioning to another school, and issues at home," he told BBC Radio review was commissioned by The Northumberland Children and Adult Safeguarding Partnership, which identified a number of lessons to be learnt from the case. The 67-page document was written from Sophia's perspective as it was felt she had not been "seen or heard for such a long time".In it, Sophia said she believed she would be "happier" and "taller" if her life had been different. Renner-Thompson, who is the council's cabinet member for children and young people, said he wanted to make sure the local authority had done everything it could to make sure a similar situation did not happen said one of the problems found in the report was, in some cases, there was little cross-checking between different agencies."There was one example where some police officers visited the home and they left saying everything is fine," he said. "A GP commented later that the fact the child was so small and in a wheelchair, despite being able to talk and being quite happy and bubbly, should have raised alarm bells."Renner-Thompson said the council's introduction of family hubs was a solution to that problem, as it allowed families with issues to be identified and for partner organisations to be brought together "in the same room". He said the report did not blame a single organisation and all process in place had been followed he admitted that while those processes worked 99% of the time, they were found to be lacking in "very extreme cases"."I think the conclusions of the review would say that if there were different processes in place, it could have been prevented," he said."This is why the processes involved have to be changed and have been changed, and have to be recognised as have being changed." Additional reporting by Rachel Sweeney. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Telegraph
31 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Why England can learn from Scotland after first measles death in a decade
The NHS in England could learn important lessons from Scotland after a measles death in Liverpool last week, experts say. Comparative data shows that vaccine uptake in Scotland is considerably higher than in England, with nearly 90 per cent of children fully protected against measles by age five. The difference, say experts, is most likely to be explained by the fact that access to GPs and other primary health care facilities is much better north of the border 'Everybody talks about [vaccine] hesitancy, but the main thing that's stopping uptake is access,' Dr Helen Bradford, Professor of Children's Health at University College London, told The Telegraph. 'That includes knowing what vaccine is due and when, being able to make an appointment, and actually getting to that appointment – all of which can be really difficult for some families.' News of the death of a child in Liverpool of measles comes as Britain's vaccination rates have fallen to the lowest of any G7 country, including the US. The problem appears to be being driven by the performance of the NHS in England. At least 89.2 per cent of Scottish children are fully vaccinated with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine by age five, compared to just 83.9 per cent in England. At the same time, Scotland has much better access to primary care – with 76 GP's per 100,000 people, compared to just 58 per 100,000 in England. 'General practice [in England] has continually had resources withdrawn, but at the same time delivers most of the childhood vaccinations,' said Dr David Elliman, an honorary senior associate professor and medical doctor at UCL. Access, he added, was the most important issue. 'In a GP practice, most parents are happy to have their children immunised. Some may have questions, but as long as they receive clear and satisfactory answers, they're usually comfortable proceeding,' he added. During the pandemic – a time where nearly all health systems saw a noticeable decrease in routine vaccinations – Scotland's coverage of routine childhood jabs actually increased. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh found a 14.3 per cent increase in children receiving the second dose of the MMR vaccine on time during the first lockdown in Scotland compared with vaccination levels in 2019. England saw a net fall in the same period of 1.93 per cent. The researchers linked the boost to flexible working for parents – which meant they could attend vaccination appointments – and better access to mobile vaccination centres. In 2018, the Scottish Government took the decision to transfer the responsibility for delivering vaccinations from GP practices to regional health boards as part of a plan to boost uptake. While most vaccines are still administered by GPs, the shift gave health boards the flexibility to tailor services for harder-to-reach communities. Unlike in England – where families often struggle with rigid booking systems, the so-called '8am scramble' for same day appointments, and limited availability – Scotland offers vaccinations in several different settings like schools, A&E departments, and at home visits. 'We need to get away from being too rigid in what sort of settings we give the vaccine in. Traditionally it's either been a community clinic or general practice but we ought to be doing it more in the places that parents go to, and particularly children who are at high risk,' said Dr Elliman. 'That means more immunisations in hospital settings and in neighbourhoods,' he added. Scotland's better vaccination rates appear to be positively influencing outcomes. So far this year, England has recorded 529 measles cases, while Scotland has had just 27. In 2024, those numbers were even more dramatic: 2,911 cases were recorded in England, compared to just 24 in Scotland. While population size partly explains the disparity – England's population is more than eleven times larger than Scotland's – it doesn't account for an almost 120-fold difference in infection rates, say experts. Only last week, the health secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged the need for better access to primary health care in England. Under the government's new NHS 10-year plan, he committed to rolling out 'neighbourhood health services' to try and 'end the 8am scramble and make it easier to see your GP,' referencing the country's maddening and archaic GP booking system. The document also includes a plan to boost vaccine uptake by allowing nurses and midwives that carry out home visits to administer vaccines in England. Yet it is unclear when the new measures will come into force: England currently faces a 5,000 shortfall in the number of health visitors needed to provide the mandated four at-home visits required for every child in the country under school age. Scotland outcompetes England in this area, too. About 90 per cent of Scottish children receive at least their first four scheduled reviews, compared to just short of 65 per cent in parts of England, including London. 'These are the public health nurses that have contact with all young families with young children, often the first port of call, the first place that parents will ask questions about immunisation. The numbers [in England] have gone down dramatically, which for those people who have got questions means there isn't always somebody obvious to ask,' said Dr Bradford.
