Warning to fat jabs users as patients start pilling on pounds after treatment stops, research shows
The drugs work well for those who have failed other methods or are very large.
However, the hunger signals they block can start up again once the treatment ends.
A review of 11 studies covering more than 2,000 slimmers found they kept the weight off for at least four weeks after stopping, but started putting it back on by the eight-week mark.
And their weight gain tended to continue for five months before it stabilised.
Patients who took popular fat jab Mounjaro regained almost half the weight they had lost while on the drug.
Study author Dr Xiaoling Cai, from Peking University People's Hospital in China, said: 'Weight regain is common, so it is necessary to establish long-term anti-obesity treatment.'
Katherine Jenner, director of Britain's Obesity Health Alliance, said: 'This underlines why we can't medicate ourselves out of the obesity crisis.
"Without tackling the root causes, people are left swimming against the tide.'
A separate study at Oxford University suggested many fat jab patients regain all the weight they lose within two years of stopping medication.
NHS prescriptions for jabs like Wegovy and Mounjaro hit 2.7million in England last year — and more people are buying privately, potentially missing out on diet and lifestyle advice.
I've lost nearly 6 stone in 9 months on fat jabs - trolls call me 'lazy' & say it's the 'easy way out' but I don't care
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Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Graham Thorpe asked his wife to help him end his life after his mental health 'spiralled' following Covid lockdowns and being sacked from his England coaching job, inquest hears
England cricket legend Graham Thorpe's mental health was 'spiralling down' after a combination of Covid lockdowns and being sacked from the English Cricket Board (ECB), his heartbroken widow said today. Amanda Thorpe described how the Surrey lefthander begged her to help him to die as he struggled to cope with anxiety and depression. He attempted to take his own life in a hotel in 2022, after losing his coaching job with the ECB after a video involving the England Ashes players on tour in Australia – which Thorpe filmed – was leaked. The former Surrey lefthander, who dazzled with the bat during a glittering career for club and country, was killed when he was struck by a train near his home on August 4 last year. He was 55 years old. Mrs Thorpe told her husband's inquest in Woking: 'He asked me to help him end his life. 'He said he wants to go to Switzerland. I was in turmoil. 'Then we get a letter for an appointment (with the medical team) in a month's time. 'How ill do you have to be?' Thorpe's wife, his father Geoff, and brothers Alan and Ian were all present for the hearing. Addressing them, assistant coroner Jonathan Stevens said: 'I appreciate this is an incredibly difficult time for you as a family.' The coroner, referring to Mrs Thorpe's witness statement, described how 'up until the time of Covid there were no psychological issues'. He said: 'You explain Graham found lockdown and Covid very difficult, very stressful for him.' Mrs Thorpe said: 'Up until 2020, no there wasnt anything in particular. 'Maybe in 2018 he had a bout of depression but he got through that, it didn't affect his job.' Thorpe's father Geoff, 83, agreed, adding: 'Everything was fine until Covid.' He told the inquest: 'What you've got to realise is sometimes us chaps are a little bit macho – we can cope. 'In fact, we can't.' Referring to the Covid restrictions, he said: 'He's not a fella who likes to be couped up.' Mr Thorpe senior described how his son's 'life came crashing down' when he lost his job with the ECB. The coroner described how Thorpe 'had his ups and downs with stress and anxiety' in 2021, but then there was the prospect of the Ashes tour in 2021/2 where the Covid restrictions in Australia were much stricter than in the UK. Referring to Mrs Thorpe's statement, he said: 'You say the environment of Covid was not good for him, would make his psychological condition worse. 'You mention on that Tour there was an incident involving a video that was taken that drew a lot of adverse publicity. 'You make the observation that he shouldn't have been allowed to go to Australia, and it was inevitable there was going to be a deterioration in his mental health.' Mrs Thorpe said: 'Thinking about it, because he went on that Tour, he was dismissed. 'If he hadn't been on that Tour, then he wouldn't be dismissed and that was ultimately what he couldn't deal with.' 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The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
How much resident doctors really earn as they plan to strike over NHS pay
Resident doctors will go ahead with a five-day strike this week after talks between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government broke down. The BMA rejected the government's offer of a 5.4 per cent pay rise this year and is calling for a 29 per cent pay rise, claiming doctors have seen a 20 per cent pay erosion in their salaries since 2008. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, described the strike action as 'completely unjustified'. He added: 'It shows a complete disdain for patients and the wider recovery of the NHS.' The BMA said the health secretary's offer did not go far enough on pay. The walkout will run from Friday, 25 July, until the following Wednesday, with further strikes threatened every month until January unless their pay demands are met. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, are qualified doctors in their first years of training. 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According to the Firefighters Union (FU), a trainee will earn around £28,265 a year, bumped up to £37,675 once they become a fully 'competent' firefighter in 1-3 years. At this point, overtime is paid at £25.80 per hour. Firefighters generally work a two-day, two-night shift pattern, with four days off in between. The highest salary for 'area manager' firefighters is at £69,283, according to the FU; not including London weighting. Meanwhile, figures from the Police Federation suggest that constables begin on £29,907 a year (without London weighting), rising to £48,000 for the highest pay band. Chief Inspectors can earn as much as £72,700 in London at the highest range. This suggests that resident doctors start at a moderately higher salary range, with more potential for upward movement. But comparing these fields of work is a challenge. Doctors must complete several years of medical school before qualifying. This saddles many doctors with debt before entering the workforce - something which is not a requirement for other emergency services, including firefighters and police. Low doctor pay compared to other countries In France, most doctors are self-employed, except for a minority who are directly employed by hospitals. Starting salaries are already expected to be around £3,400 per month, tallying at £40,800 a year. The average salary for a general practitioner is £84,000, according to data from the public health service. This can go up to as high as £350,000 for radiotherapists. In Canada, low starting salaries for doctors are around £46,000, according to national data. But average salaries sit around £122,000, with peak pay at £236,000 a year. The US has the highest salaries for doctors overall, with significant variation by state. Since private healthcare pay is unstandardised, it is hard to directly compare starting salaries. But resident doctors in the US are paid on average between £51,000 and £86,000, according to Glassdoor, with some surgeons earning upwards of £500,000 a year. It is important to note that the NHS is relatively unique because it is funded by the taxpayer. Canada has a similar system, which covers 70 per cent of healthcare spending, known as Medicare. Most doctors are paid in a fee-for-service model, not a set salary. France has a reimbursement model where patients mostly pay upfront, and may be partially or fully refunded by the state. And the US has some form of free health insurance, known as Medicaid; but this covers a shrinking fraction of the population. Ultimately, doctors are privately paid through forms of insurance, even if the state subsidises some healthcare. In this way, the UK is somewhat unique in how the taxpayer shoulders the burden of public healthcare salaries, excluding private doctors.
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
New data lifts lid on agonising wait for mental health treatment
Nearly 1.7 million patients are currently awaiting community mental health care in the UK, with 48,000 people facing delays exceeding two years for treatment to commence. This figure, which rose from 1.3 million in March 2024, is in addition to the 7.4 million people on the NHS physical health waiting list. Dr Lade Smith, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, warned that mental health care is being rationed and downgraded, not prioritised by the government. The government's recently launched 10-year NHS plan recommits to expanding mental health teams and specialist A&Es but lacks specific commitments to reduce existing waiting lists. The lack of sufficient community care is forcing more patients into A&E, as highlighted by the NHS's director for mental health and a mother whose autistic daughter was hospitalised due to lack of community support.
