obesity

COMIC Michael McIntyre has admitted turning to fat jabs after his doctor told him he was obese.

The 5ft 5ins star said wife Kitty ordered him to start after the medic ticked him off for being 100kg (15st 10lbs).

McIntyre, 49, said he first used Ozempic before switching to ­Mounjaro and the weight dropped off in only three weeks of injections.

The dad of two, who has long struggled with his weight, made the admission to an audience in London.

He joked: “Have you noticed how tiny I am? I have lost weight.

“Don’t applaud it because there is a little bit of cheating that has gone on.”

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McIntyre who once lost 7kg (14lbs) at a £2,000-a-week clinic, confessed that he did not want to use appetite suppressants but Kitty insisted.

He also blamed his problem on eating his kids’ leftovers.

On his trip to the GP, he told fans: “The ­doctor told me I weighed 100kg.

“He told me I was ‘obese’. How rude. He said, ‘It’s a medical term’.”

McIntyre, whose new series of The Wheel started last night on BBC One, also declared that his weight-loss success will “fall apart” if he ever eats something sweet again.

Other stars who have admitted taking fat jabs include Jeremy Clarkson, 65, James Corden, 47, and US model Chrissy Teigen, 39.

WEIGHT loss jabs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy have offered a lifeline to those with diabetes and obesity.

But not everyone who takes the GLP-1 receptor agonists benefits equally, warn scientists.

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The way GLP-1 receptor agonists work is by lowering blood glucose, which then modifies a person’s appetite leading to weight loss.

But not everyone experiences weight loss while taking them.

As part of their investigations, researchers looked at people’s relationship with food, and the influence this had on their treatment.

The scientists focused on three different types of eating behaviours linked to weight gain; emotional eating, where people eat in response to negative emotions rather than hunger; external eating, where people eat because the food looks great rather than because of hunger; and restrained eating, which can help with weight loss but can also lead to disordered eating.

The study monitored 92 individuals with diabetes in Japan over their first year of taking the drugs.

All three types of eaters showed a significant reduction in body weight, cholesterol levels, and body fat percentage over the course of the year.

But there were some differences in results.

People who overeat in response to the sight or smell of tasty food were most likely to respond well to the drugs in the long term.

But individuals who overeat for emotional reasons were less likely to. 

“Pre-treatment assessment of eating behaviour patterns may help predict who will benefit most from GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy,” said Prof Daisuke Yabe of Kyoto University, senior author of the study published in Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare.

“GLP-1 receptor agonists are effective for individuals who experience weight gain or elevated blood glucose levels due to overeating triggered by external stimuli.

“However, their effectiveness is less expected in cases where emotional eating is the primary cause.”

After three months, participants reported more behaviours associated with restrained eating, and fewer behaviours linked to external or emotional eating.

By 12 months, a decrease in external eating was sustained.

But restrained and emotional eating behaviours returned to their baseline levels.

“One possible explanation is that emotional eating is more strongly influenced by psychological factors which may not be directly addressed by GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy,” said Dr Takehiro Keto of Gifu University, second author of the study.

“Individuals with prominent emotional eating tendencies may require additional behavioural or psychological support.”

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The researchers did point out participants who fell into the external eating group may have been especially highly motivated to try to improve their control over their diabetes, which may have resulted in greater weight loss.

“While our study suggests a potential association between external eating behaviour and treatment response to GLP-1 receptor agonists, these findings remain preliminary,” said Yabe.

“Further evidence is necessary before they can be implemented in clinical practice.

“Should future large-scale or randomised controlled trials validate this relationship, incorporating simple behavioural assessments could become a valuable component in optimising treatment strategies.”

WEIGHT loss injections and weight loss surgery are both effective ways to slim down.

But one may lead to longer life and fewer serious health problems, say scientists.

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A large Cleveland Clinic study found people with obesity and type 2 diabetes who undergo weight loss surgery (known as bariatric or metabolic surgery) live longer and face fewer health risks compared with those treated with GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist weight loss jabs.

Patients who underwent weight loss surgery lost more weight, achieved better blood sugar control, and relied less on diabetes and heart medications over 10 years.

“Even with today’s best medicines, metabolic surgery offers unique and lasting benefits for people with obesity and diabetes,” said Ali Aminian, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric & Metabolic Institute and primary investigator of the study.

“The benefits we observed went beyond weight loss. Surgery was linked to fewer heart problems, less kidney disease, and even lower rates of diabetes-related eye damage.”

GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

There’s been a sharp rise of their use in the UK, driven primarily by use for weight loss through private prescribing.

Both surgery and jabs improve cardiovascular health and metabolism.

But at the end of the study that followed 3,932 adults with diabetes and obesity who received care at Cleveland Clinic for up to 10 years, patients who underwent surgery had a:

• 32 per cent lower risk of death
• 25 per cent lower risk of major health problems (such as heart attack, heart failure, or stroke)
• 47 per cent lower risk of serious kidney disease
• 54 per cent lower risk of diabetes-related eye damage (retinopathy)

On average, people who had weight loss surgery lost 21.6 per cent of their body weight over 10 years, while those on weight loss jabs lost 6.8 per cent.

Hemoglobin A1c, a marker of average blood sugar, improved more with surgery than with GLP-1 medicines.

And patients who had surgery required fewer prescriptions for diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol.

“Even in the era of these powerful new drugs to treat obesity and diabetes, metabolic surgery may provide additional benefits, including a survival advantage,” said Steven Nissen, Chief Academic Officer of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic and senior author of the study.

“Our findings indicate that surgery should remain an important treatment option for obesity and diabetes,” said Dr Aminian.

“These long-term benefits are harder to achieve with GLP-1 medicines alone, as many patients stop using the medications over time.”

There were some limitations to the study – it was observational rather than a randomised comparison of drugs and surgery.

It also didn’t focus exclusively on the newest and most effective GLP-1 medicines.

The researchers said future studies should directly compare surgery with newer GLP-1 medicines, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide to guide treatment decisions.

A HIGHER ‘golden dose’ of Wegovy than is currently approved is safe and could be more effective – helping patients lose nearly a fifth of their body weight.

The once-weekly injection containing the semaglutide – also the active ingredient in diabetes jab Ozempic – is prescribed on the NHS at a maximum dose of 2.4mg.

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Now, two major studies show that tripling doses to 7.2mg can trigger significant weight loss, without bringing on more side effects or risking patient safety.

The findings, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, suggest a higher dose of semaglutide could be an option for people with obesity – as well as type 2 diabetes – who haven’t lost enough weight on standard doses.

“Once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg is approved for weight management in people with obesity and related complications,” researchers said.

“However, some individuals do not reach their therapeutic goals with this dose.

“We aimed to test the efficacy and safety of a higher dose of semaglutide in people with obesity.”

Researchers investigated whether 7.2mg semaglutide injections could provide patients with “further benefits” and boost fat loss for people whose weight had plateaued “without jeopardising safety or significantly increasing the risk of adverse events”.

The two trials involved more than 2,000 adults with obesity, some of whom also had diabetes.

They were conducted across 95 hospitals, specialist clinics, and medical centres in 11 countries, including Canada, Germany, Greece, Norway and the US.

Researchers randomly assigned participants the 7.2mg dose, the 2.4mg dose, or placebo injections.

All participants received advice on improving diet and increasing exercise.

After 72 weeks, people without diabetes given the higher dose lost an average of 18.7 per cent of their body weight.

Those on the standard dose 15.6 per cent of their weight and those on placebo injections lost just 3.9 per cent.

Almost half of those on the higher dose lost at least 20 per cent of their body weight, while nearly a third shed 25 per cent or more.

This rivals the average weight lost with competitor jab Mounjaro, known as the ‘King Kong’ of weight loss injections.

Participants on the higher dose also saw their waists shrink and reported improvements in their blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels – all key factors in reducing obesity-related health risks.

As for obese adults with type 2 diabetes, the 7.2mg dose caused them to lose 13 per cent of their weight.

Those on 2.4mg lost 10 per cent of their body weight on average, while placebo-users lost 4 per cent.

Both trials showed the higher semaglutide dose to be safe and generally well tolerated, though people taking 7.2mg did report more side effects.

“Serious adverse events” were reported by 68 of 1004 participants receiving the 7.2mg dose of semaglutide – about 7 per cent – researchers said.

Meanwhile, 22 of 201 taking 2.4mg reported side effects – about 11 per cent – and 11 of 201 receiving placebo injections, researchers said.

Nausea and diarrhoea, and some sensory symptoms like tingling, were the most common.

However, most side effects were manageable and resolved over time, researchers said.

One in 20 patients taking the higher dose stopped treatment because of side effects, similar to the standard jab.

Study authors concluded: “Semaglutide 7.2 mg was superior to placebo and semaglutide 2.4 mg in reducing bodyweight, including reaching reductions of 20 per cent or greater and 25 per cent or greater over 72 weeks.

The higher dose was “well tolerated and provided additional clinically meaningful weight loss compared with 2.4 mg, suggesting that higher doses could help patients who do not achieve sufficient weight loss with the currently approved dose”, they added.

But Professor Alex Miras, an obesity expert at Imperial College London, was more hesitant in touting the benefits of the 7.2mg dose.

He told the Daily Mail: “Tripling the dose only gives a marginal extra benefit, but the dose increase is massive.

“Going from 2.4mg to 7.2mg is a very big jump. I’m concerned many patients won’t tolerate such a high dose.

“In clinical practice people already struggle at 2.4mg.

“Even if 7.2mg is approved, I suspect uptake will be low because of cost and side-effects – the top dose is already expensive.”

It comes as many Brits taking weight loss jabs privately are priced out of paying for Mounjaro – after manufacturer Eli Lilly hiked up prices.

The highest dose was set to rise from £122 to £330 a month – an increase of 170 per cent – from September 1.

It was later reported that some pharmacies would be able to offer the jabs at a discount, saving patients £83 on the cost of the maximum dose.

But the price rise has still made Mounjaro unaffordable for many – leading Brits to switch to cheaper Wegovy or give up the jabs altogether.

In the UK, fewer than 200,000 people are thought to be accessing weight-loss jabs through the NHS, but over 1.4 million are estimated to be using them privately, according to the health think-tank the King’s Fund.

Meanwhile, jabs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro have been connected to 24 deaths in the 21 weeks since January, The Sun revealed.

WHETHER it’s fish and chips, a fry-up or afternoon tea and cake, British diets are pretty calorific.

And all that fat, sugar and salt is having a serious impact on our waistlines, with almost one in three of us considered obese.

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That might seem pretty high, but it’s actually considerably lower than the 43 per cent obesity rate in the United States.

Even Australia trumps the UK at 32 per cent, and these figures don’t even account for the people who are simply overweight. 

Around the world, each country has its own way of eating; some contain lots of processed foods, while others enjoy more vegetables or have a focus on fish and meat. 

Often, these diets have a huge influence on the population’s body mass index (BMI) – a way of measuring if you’re a healthy weight. 

A score between 18.5 and 24.9 is healthy, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30-plus is obese. 

Many of us think of obesity as just being fat, but it’s actually increasingly being recognised as a chronic, complex disease. 

It can have a huge, negative impact on your health, increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and even some types of cancer. 

Thankfully, you can tailor your diet to help keep the number on the scales down. 

But which one is best?

Follow in the footsteps of these countries, which all have a lower obesity rate than the UK…

If you can’t face giving up cheese… eat like the French 

Obesity rate: 11 per cent 

CHEESE is big business in France. In fact, the French consume an average of 60lbs (27kg) of the stuff per person every year, according to Statistica. 

Instead of turning to low fat cheeses and spreads to stay slim, eat like the French and go for full fat.

“Fat is what gives a sense of fullness in a meal,” says Lucia Stansbie, registered nutritional therapist.

“When we eat fat, hormones telling the brain to stop eating are released, making a full fat yogurt more satisfying that a zero per cent one, so you end up needing to eat less. 

“Many low fat foods have added sugars and emulsifiers to recreate the same texture of full fat foods, making them ultra processed foods (UPFS).”

Research published in the journal Current Nutrition Reports identified UPFs as being a key driver of obesity.

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In France, all-day grazing is a no-no – so much so, that snack products often contain a warning on the packet which says, “for your health, avoid snacking between meals”. 

“Snacks can be the downfall of all diets as they can be very calorie-dense,” says Lucia.

“And if they’re sugar-rich, they can lead to a sugar high followed by a crash so more snacks are needed to pick yourself up.

“Eating a proper meal that fills you up until your next one is the best strategy.”

Instead of having a plain, low-carb, low-calorie vegetable salad for lunch to manage your weight, enjoy a meal with a source of protein, some carbs and healthy fats to keep you full until dinner time.

“This is better than being really hungry a few hours after lunch and craving a high calorie snack,” says Jess Hillard, nutritionist at Warrior. 

Try some spicy chicken with sweet potato mash, avocado and a vinaigrette.

If you like wine… eat like the Italians

Obesity rate: 22 per cent 

ALTHOUGH alcohol can pack in some serious calories, you don’t have to go teetotal to lose weight. 

Instead, go for quality booze, in moderation, alongside food. 

“In Italy, people don’t drink on an empty stomach,” says Lucia.

“Doing so leads to sugar spikes and then sugar crashes, so we eat quick-release carbs such as crisps or sweets to get our energy back.”

One way to flatten this spike is eating a decent meal. 

The size of serving plates in Italy are also smaller than the standard UK plates so smaller portions are eaten

Lucia StansbieNutritional therapist

Lucia adds: “In Italy, there is a big focus on quality and taste. 

“People don’t drink a cheap bottle of wine to get drunk. Instead, they match a nice glass of wine with the meal they are having. 

“Culturally, getting drunk and excessive drinking are frowned upon. 

“This makes a massive difference in the amount of alcohol that is consumed.”

Italian mealtimes are also leisurely. Rather than wolfing down lunch at a desk while frantically working on a deadline, Italians eat mindfully. 

“Mindful eating leads to eating slower and feeling fuller sooner, while eating while distracted – such as while working or watching TV – will lead to less satisfaction and mindlessly eating bigger amounts of foods or looking for snacks,” says Lucia.

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Don’t forget to add olive oil – the main fat used in Italy – to your meals too.

A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that fat loss was approximately 80 per cent higher for participants who included 25ml of extra virgin olive oil in their diet compared to those who didn’t. 

Lucia adds: “The size of serving plates in Italy are also smaller than the standard UK serving plates, so smaller portions are eaten.”

Why not try swapping your dinner plates for side plates or pasta bowls? You’ll be forced to reduce your portion!

If you love carbs… eat like the Japanese 

Obesity rate: 5 per cent 

DESPITE popular belief, carbohydrates are certainly not the devil when it comes to weight loss. 

Not only could they actually help you slim down, they could even help you live longer.

Japan is home to Okinawa – a ‘blue zone’, where many people live to 100 and beyond. 

Their diet? An estimated 10:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, according to a study in the journal Age and Ageing – yes, that’s 10 times as much carbs as protein!

While you definitely shouldn’t turn your back on protein, you shouldn’t fear carbs. 

But Lucia says the type of carbs you choose will make a huge difference.

“Wholegrains have a higher fibre content, which means that the sugar spike won’t be so high, while white carbs are devoid of all fibre,” she adds.

“The body can manage a maximum of 4g of sugar in the blood at a time; the excess will be stored either in the liver as glycogen or as abdominal fat.

“Eat slow release carbs – such as wholegrains – and pair them with fibre (such as vegetables), proteins (such as meat, fish and eggs) and fats (such as avocado, olive oil and nuts) to ensure a slow release of sugar in the blood system for sustained energy and weight management.”

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Tuck into seafood and cut back on red meat.

“Fish and seafood are excellent sources of protein,” says Lucia.

“Just 100g of fish has, on average, the same amount of protein as 100g of meat but fewer calories.

“Oysters are the richest source of zinc. People with diabetes, which is often linked to obesity, tend to have lower zinc levels.  

“Plus, fish and shellfish are sources of iodine, a mineral essential for thyroid function, and suboptimal function can lead to increased weight and fatigue.” 

If you love chocolate… eat like the Swiss

Obesity rate: 14 per cent 

LINDT, Toblerone, Nestlé – some of the best chocolate in the world comes from Switzerland. 

So how can such a chocolate-filled nation remain so slim?

Along with an active lifestyle, Jess says that listening to your body is key. 

“Ignoring cravings makes you want them even more and binge on them eventually,” she says.

“Have a balanced meal before the chocolate you’re craving. 

“If you still want some chocolate, break off a few squares and put the rest of the bar away.” 

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Depriving yourself will only make you want it more and make you more likely to scoff the whole bar! 

The Swiss also love their oily fish.

“Oily fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA,” Jess says.

“These are excellent for brain health and they’ve been found to reduce the risk of heart disease.

“Aim for two portions of fish per week. One of these should be oily, such as salmon, mackerel or sardines.”

Aim for two fists of vegetables, one palm full of carbohydrates and one palm of protein. Any fats should be thumb-size

Jess HillardNutritionist

Omega-3s have been found to potentially help with fat loss.

In a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, adults given 4g of fish oil per day lost 0.5kg of body fat and built more muscle than those who were not given fish oil.

Plus, research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that incorporating fish into one meal a day as part of a weight loss regime was more effective than the regime on its own. 

“Fish’s high oil content keeps you fuller for longer as well as helping to decrease inflammation in the body,” says Jess.

Inflammation can lead to health problems, including chronic inflammation, which can even cause the body to hold onto fat, especially visceral fat which sits around your organs.

If you struggle to eat your five-a-day… eat like the Vietnamese 

Obesity rate: 2 per cent 

NOODLE soups, grilled meats, broths and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables are the order of the day in Vietnam, which boasts an incredibly low obesity rate.

Most dishes are delicious, yet nutritious – so you don’t even notice how much veg you’ve eaten.

“Vegetables are filled with fibre which will keep you fuller for longer,” says Jess.

“They also contain few calories as well as high levels of vitamins and minerals, particularly non-starchy vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, peas and leafy greens.

“Having a nutrient rich diet won’t just ‘stop cravings’ for high fat and/sugary foods.

“You will feel fuller after meals, meaning you won’t feel the need for these foods as much.”

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She recommends filling half your plate with veg at every meal, and to make sure your veggies retain their nutrients, choose steaming over boiling or frying.

Research published in the journal Nutrition & Food Science found that when steamed, vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and lettuce lose nine to 15 per cent of their vitamin C content.

The Vietnamese way of eating is an easier way to get these veggies into meals – you can buy noodle soup kits in supermarkets to try at home.

Compared to many western countries, Vietnam’s portions are also fairly moderate. 

Practising portion control is simple and can be done using just your hands. 

“Aim for two fists of vegetables, one palm full of carbohydrates and one palm of protein,” says Jess.

“Any fats, such as oils, butter and cheese, should be thumb-size.”

THE world’s first smartphone test for type 2 diabetes has launched in the UK.

The app-based check is designed to make it easier for people to spot their risk and could help cut complications such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease, which are often linked to diabetes.

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Patients place a drop of blood from a finger-prick onto a chip, which is then scanned by the PocDoc app to give results almost instantly.

NHS trusts in Cumbria and the North East are the first to roll it out, with a nationwide launch planned later this year.

The Government has hailed the app as a “potential game-changer” in the fight against diabetes as results come in within minutes, instead of the days or weeks it can currently take.

Around 5.2 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes, with cases still rising – and a further 1.3 million thought to be undiagnosed.

“Enabling screening for type 2 diabetes risk including blood biomarkers via a smartphone app is something that has never been done before,” said PocDoc chief executive Steve Roest.

Professor Julia Newton, medical director at HI NENC, said the test could reach people who struggle with conventional health checks.

“Most people over the age of 40 are invited for an NHS health check every five years, but depending on where you live a large chunk don’t attend,” she said.

“One of the reasons we’ve found is accessing a health check in a conventional setting.

“So if those tests are made more easily available, which this test does, then we have the opportunity to reach far more people.”

She added: “If you consider the number of people with diabetes who go onto have heart attacks and strokes, if we can manage their risk before it becomes a problem that will reduce admissions to hospital, reduce mortality, and reduce complications from diabetes, such as kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke disease.”

The HbA1c finger-prick test is considered the gold standard blood test. This is because it shows average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months, giving a clearer picture than daily checks.

Steve said the app fits directly with Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s 10-year NHS plan, spotting illnesses earlier, tailoring care, and shifting more testing and diagnosis into homes and communities.

“There’s a huge gap in screening for preventable diseases,” he said.

“Right now, the system, not just in the UK but worldwide, cannot find, assess, and diagnose enough people to make a dent in tackling heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes.”

Health minister Stephen Kinnock told The i Paper that the app rollout was important because type 2 diabetes is on the rise across England.

“This is a potential game-changer and exactly the type of technology we want to see in the NHS as part of the 10 Year Health Plan – bringing our health service firmly into the 21st century and care directly into people’s homes.

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“We will make using the NHS as simple and convenient as online banking or shopping, while helping companies bring new technology into the health service more quickly.”

The seed of the device was planted 30 years ago when Steve was a teenager and witnessed his father having a catastrophic stroke in his early forties, due to undiagnosed cardiovascular disease (CVD).

“Using smartphones to deliver diagnostics is exactly what could have saved my dad from having so many [health] problems. He’s cost the NHS a fortune,” Steve said.

Around £9bn is spent on treating complications arising from diabetes, such as heart disease, kidney problems, and nerve damage.

Studies suggest that the annual cost of the disease could increase to £16.9 bn in the next 25 years.

The app’s launch comes 24 hours after the Government announced the biggest shake-up of diabetes care in a decade.

Around 750,000 patients with CVD or early-onset diabetes would benefit from fat jabs sooner, rather than keeping them for the later stages of treatment, new guidance states.

EVERYONE’S talking about fat jabs – the ‘miracle’ injections trimming inches off waistlines, and helping turn the tide on the obesity epidemic.

But what if there was an even easier – and cheaper – way than Ozempic-like injections, Wegovy and Mounjaro?

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Science sits still for no slimmer and already, the next big thing is looming large on the horizon – and it could be as simple as popping a pill.

Slimming tablets have been around for decades, but now scientists want to harness the new momentum in obesity medicine – and use the billions being made from the jabs – to bring pills back with a bang.

Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, tells Sun Health: “I think pills will eventually replace injections.

“People don’t particularly like them and they’re a bit afraid of injecting themselves.

“You’ve got to have the device, the needle, the sharps bin, it’s got to be refrigerated, there are all sorts of challenges.

“If you can move it all to a tablet you can increase acceptance and hopefully it will be cheaper and become more widely available.”

Professor Richard Donnelly, editor of the medical journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and clinical adviser at online weight loss clinic Juniper, agrees.

“Thirty years ago weight loss tablets had a terrible reputation and nobody really wanted to prescribe them,” he adds.

“They had rare but severe side effects and weren’t particularly effective.

“Now there is a whole flood of development and a lot to be optimistic about.

“There is a big hope that developing pills will improve accessibility and cost less.”

There are several pills in development – some stimulate the same hormones as jabs to make us feel full, while others mimic bariatric surgery.

The end goal is the same – to do what willpower alone fails to achieve and stop us eating so much.

While some are yet to even be trialled in humans, one has already been submitted for approval in the US, meaning they could be available before the end of the year.

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The most advanced pills being made are by the same companies behind the fat jabs.

Novo Nordisk, creator of Wegovy and Ozempic, has developed a tablet version of semaglutide, the active drug in those injections.

It applied for approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration last month.

Trials showed patients lost an average of 15 per cent of their bodyweight over 17 months on a 50mg daily dose, compared with eight per cent over 12 months on Wegovy.

Participants were three times more likely to achieve “meaningful” weight loss when they were taking the pill, compared to those not taking the tablet.

Rival company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro (tirzepatide) announced the results of its pill orforglipron in April.

The two drugs both work by stimulating GLP-1 hormones that make you feel full.

Patients taking 36mg of orforglipron lost eight per cent of their bodyweight in 10 months, equating to 1st 2lbs from an average starting weight of 14st 3lbs – while participants taking a placebo lost just 3lbs.

It compares with 15 per cent weight loss in a year on Mounjaro.

Lilly said their pill “could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use around the world”.

But injections and pills have not been compared head-to-head yet.
Studies are ongoing and taking the science behind these game-changing jabs and applying it to tablets, does not guarantee success.

Pfizer abandoned the development of its drug lotiglipron in 2023 when a trial indicated potential liver damage as a side effect.

Drugs tend to be more easily absorbed by the body when they are injected directly into the bloodstream, compared to being digested through the gut.

And that’s another key consideration – what the potential side effects of these new pills could be.

Unpleasant side effects were the downfall of the old generation of slimming pills.

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The NHS has prescribed a pill called orlistat for years, dishing out £12million worth of it in England last year.

It works by preventing the gut from absorbing fat from food – but it means fat must be passed out in poo instead of digested.

This can lead to flatulence, more regular bowel movements and diarrhoea.

It can also cause bladder pains and breathing troubles – and weight loss doesn’t match up to the jabs.

About eight in 10 patients suffer at least one side effect when using injections, most commonly tummy upset, according to trials.

Early data suggests pills might have similar rates.

Around six per cent of people taking any of Lilly or Novo Nordisk’s pills or injections quit the medicines because of side effects.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, of the Independent Pharmacies Association, says: “The old generation drugs tended to be uncomfortable for a lot of people whereas these new ones are much more effective.

“All medicines will have side effects but the fact that the results are much better now means people are more willing to endure them.”
Prof Donnelly said he still does not expect new tablets to be as strong as jabs, adding: “I don’t think anybody believes these will cause the same level of weight loss that you might be reporting with Mounjaro.

“The flipside of that is that major weight loss might not all be good.

“Some of that might be muscle and if you lose 30 per cent of your body weight that is a fairly major transformation.

“Having an oral agent that reduces your weight by, say, 10 or 15 per cent, might actually be more sustainable, better tolerated and medically safer in some respects.”

While the GLP-1 tablets are likely to be first to market, inventors are also working on a daily pill that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery.

‘GASTRIC BYPASS’ PILL

US company Syntis Bio’s offering, named Synt-101 creates a 24-hour lining in the gut that means food cannot be absorbed in the top six inches of the small intestine.

Rather, digestion is redirected to the lower areas of the gut, where hormones that tell the brain we are full, are triggered faster.

Working in a similar vein to surgery, it means patients feel fuller faster – and the lining is passed when the patient goes to the loo the next day.

Synt-101 has passed its first human safety tests and is expected to enter a full-scale clinical trial next year.

Another pill in development, Sirona, is made by UK-based Oxford Medical Products, and contains a “dual polymer hydrogel” that expands in the stomach when it comes into contact with water.

It works like a gastric balloon, filling the patient’s tummy making them feel full for hours, but is passed in their stools “several days” later.

Early data from an NHS trial found patients lost 10 to 12 per cent in a year of treatment and there were no serious side effects.

Experts believe weight loss pills will serve a variety of purposes – as a follow-on treatment after stopping fat jabs, as an option for those who can’t or don’t want to use jabs and for people with less severe obesity, and less weight to lose.

There are hopes they will be less toxic than injections, which often cause side effects like stomach aches, vomiting or diarrhoea.

Weight regain after treatment is also an emerging issue with the jabs, which can currently only be prescribed for up to two years in the UK.

Rahul Dhanda, chief executive of Syntis Bio, said: “Patients don’t want to be stuck on a revolving door of injections and their side effects; they want to be on a manageable and sustainable weight loss path.

“Oral drugs that are simple, tolerable and safe will be the rational choice for maintenance therapy.”

DOES it feel like you’ve tried everything in your quest to lose those final pounds?

While the world is obsessed with Ozempic-like fat jabs, not everyone wants to resort to injecting drugs to shed weight. But what’s the answer when all the fad diets have failed?

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As a nutritionist with over a decade of experience, I’ve seen it all from quick fixes to restrictive plans that rarely deliver long-lasting results. I’m not alone – most professionals in this space would agree that rigid diets don’t work long-term.

But here’s what does…. Rethinking your approach to weight loss and health by focusing on sustainable habits known as diet ‘anchors’.

Anchors are a common concept that many wellness experts (myself included) use with our clients. Think of them as an antidote to fad diets that don’t hold up over time. 

Like the name suggests, these fundamental vows help keep you grounded and consistent. They are easy to weave into your daily routine, making them sustainable, unlike rigid rules that come with most diets. They become so ingrained that they become natural, which is the key to success.

Many of my clients come in thinking they need to overhaul their diet overnight, but when it comes to health, it’s actually the small, steady shifts that have the biggest impact. 

So if you’re fed up of complicated calorie counting, are struggling with flagging energy levels or can’t seem to stick to the new gym routine, try implementing these tried and tested non-negotiable rules to flip the weight loss switch… 

1. BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

It may be the first thing you eat, but breakfast sets the tone for the whole day. The food choices you make have an impact on your blood sugar levels.

Slurping a bowl of milky cereal or a chowing a syrupy stack of pancakes might hit your sweet spot, but sugary breakfasts send your blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster.

What this means, is that after they spike your blood sugar, you soon experience a crash. It results in a mid-morning energy dip and cravings for the biscuit tin come 10am.

Make sure your breakfast choices lean more towards savoury, protein-rich meals to feel fuller for longer with no nasty blood glucose crashes. 

Protein takes more energy to digest than fat or carbohydrates, which means it slightly increases calorie burn, whilst keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

Panfried mushrooms with melted cheese on toast, anchovy and tomato bruschetta or eggs cooked shakshuka style are a protein-fuelled start to the day.

But if you’re limited on time, or on-the-go, try:

• Boil a couple of eggs the night before and serve with salad leaves or wholemeal toast. Make a veggie frittata which can be eaten cold.
• Whizz together a bowl of fruity overnight oats. Pop some oats in a mason jar and cover with milk. In the morning, add a sprinkling of seeds (which are high in plant-based protein), your favourite fruit and a drizzle of honey. 
• Combine plain Greek yoghurt with berries and top with mixed nuts or chia seeds. 
• Nibble a protein bar with a piece of low-sugar fruit such as an apple or pear.

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2. COLOUR, NOT QUANTITY 

Variety is the spice of life, so if you’re eating the same foods day after day you’ll hit a boredom wall and risk nutritional deficiencies. 

To avoid this food rut, rotate the colours on your plate, aiming for a total of nine different shades every day. 

This is easier than it sounds, and the simplest way is to aim for three different vegetables at each meal. 

For example, sneak diced courgette and colourful peppers into bolognese sauces, make use of frozen bagged vegetables into casseroles and soups and add a side salad to your lunch. 

When you lose inspiration, find new recipes on social media; it’s saturated with accounts showing how to make meals that hit all the spots; healthy, delicious, cheap and quick.

Try doubling up on everything you make for a week or two, so that you can freeze portions. That way you always have a healthy meal when you’re in a hurry.

3. UP AND OUT

Kicking back on the sofa and flicking on Netflix might be your current go-to after dinner, but gentle exercise after eating is a science-backed no-brainer weight loss hack that us nutritionists swear by. 

A short walk within a 60-minute window of finishing your meal can help with weight loss as well as ward off disease. It makes all the difference in how your body absorbs carbohydrates. 

A 2023 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine showed that 20 minutes of walking straight after eating helped muscle cells use glucose more efficiently from the bloodstream which reduces insulin demand and boosts weight loss. 

No time to walk, or stuck at the house? Pace up and down the stairs – set a goal and see if you can increase how many flights you can do over time – or get some chores done around the house.

4. SPICE AND NICE

Lots of us have to make a conscious effort to cook things from scratch. It’s easier to grab ready-to-eat meals for the family, but this is certainly not the best way to lose weight.

If there’s one thing you can do to liven up meals that you’re cooking from scratch – and keep your diet on track – it’s adding flavour. So, include at least one herb or spice at each meal. 

From adding blood-sugar balancing cinnamon to porridge, topping green smoothies with anti-inflammatory golden turmeric and being extra liberal with herbs like sage, basil and parsley in pasta sauces, getting in the habit of seasoning will help to elevate your meals both in taste and nutrition. 

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You can use dried herbs and spices or buy fresh. To keep costs down and wastage low, you can now buy pre-chopped herbs, as well as onions and garlic, in the frozen section.

Want to take it one step further? Create your own little herb garden on a sunny windowsill. Basil, thyme and mint are all super-easy varieties to grow at home. 

5. SELF-WORTH REIGNS

Sustaining motivation to workout and eat well can be difficult at the best of times, but anchoring your thoughts to your goals is the best way to keep your get-up-and-go firing. Keep in mind that success is about consistency, and it’s those small wins that add up over time.

Mantras can help to reinforce your diet choices, so put pen to paper and make up a few that resonate with your goals. 

Some of my personal favourites include “your choices today build results tomorrow”, and “nothing changes unless you change it”.

Self-worth can often shatter on fad diets, but with diet anchors you feel shaped by your positive health choices, so when you do smash one of your micro goals, be kind to yourself.

Even something simple like getting your nails done, or pampering yourself with a candlelit bath, can help to keep motivation high. And if you do fall off the wagon? Don’t beat yourself up for it, every day is a new day with new possibilities to better your health. 

6. PLATE ART

Learning to become meticulous about how you organise your plate is a simple yet powerful anchor that can help to speed up weight loss, and keep those stubborn pounds off.

To build the perfect plate, it’s important to re-think the way you serve your food; Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and peppers as these are high in fibre and contain a hefty dose of nutrients.

Next, dedicate one quarter to protein – this includes foods like eggs, poultry, red meat or tofu to help support muscle health and promote fullness.

Finally, split the remaining quarter between healthy fats, (including avocado, nuts, and seeds), along with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta or sweet potato as these help to sustain energy whilst providing essential nutrients.

The order in which you eat your food can also make a difference to weight loss – it’s a concept called ‘food sequencing’ and can help to improve your body’s insulin response to food.

To practice food sequencing, eat your non-starchy veg first, followed by your protein and healthy fat sources. Save your carbs until last to help minimise blood sugar spikes and aid fullness. 

Louise Pyne is a registered nutritionist. Find her at www.louisepynenutrition.com and on Instagram @loulou_nutrition.

What a balanced plate looks like

How can you make sure you are eating a balanced, filling and nutritious plate at every meal?

Think of your plate divided into different food groups – protein, carbs, fat and fruit and veg.

Protein: David Wiener, training and nutrition specialist at AI-based lifestyle and coaching app Freeletics, told The Sun: “Aim for one to two palm-size portions of lean protein in each meal.”

Protein includes meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef), beans, peas, lentils and fish.

The NHS Eatwell Guide says to choose lean cuts of meat and mince, and eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.

Aim for at least two portions (two x 140g) of fish every week, one of which should be oily, such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.

Carbs: Carbohydrates should make up about a third of your plate, or a fist-sized portion.

The Eatwell Guide says: “Choose higher fibre or wholegrain varieties, such as wholewheat pasta and brown rice, or simply leave the skins on potatoes.

“There are also higher fibre versions of white bread and pasta.

“Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.”

Fat: Generally the advice is to think of fat like a thumb-sized amount on your plate.

The Eatwell Guide says: “Remember all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.

“These foods include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sugary soft drinks, butter, ghee and ice cream.

“They’re not needed in our diet, so should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts.”

But a small amount is still essential for the diet. Try and eat more unsaturated fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil), which are healthier than saturated fats (butter, hard cheese, sour cream).

Fruit and veg: David says: “Make sure you also get lots of colourful fruit and vegetable carbohydrates too.

“Aim for at least five of these portions a day.

“One to two fist-sized portions of fruits and vegetables with every meal is generally recommended.”

Fruit and veg can be fresh, frozen, tinned or dried. You can roast, boil, steam or grill veggies.

BRITAIN’S most unhealthy high street sandwiches have now been revealed.

Brits will be shocked to know that most of their favourite lunchtime meal deals have more saturated fat and sugar than fast food and desserts.

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Most of them also have more calories than McDonald’s cheeseburgers and a bar of DairyMilk chocolate.

Leading the list of unhealthy sandwiches, Pret’s Posh Cheddar & Pickle Baguette sandwich contains a whopping 643 calories.

That is more calories than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers combined, which come at 295 calories each.

Even a Big Mac has almost 150 fewer calories than Pret’s flagship lunchtime meal.

Meanewhile, Waitrose‘s No1 The Perfect Ploughman’s Cornish Cheddar Sandwich comes 13.1g of saturated fat – making it one of the unhealthiest items on the list.

This is again more than two McDonald’s Cheeseburgers combined, which come with just 5.4g of fat each, according to a DailyMail analysis.

Next comes M&S’s Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese Ploughman’s sandwich with 11.3g of saturated fat.

To give some context, a Big Mac burger has just 8.8g of fat.

Both these sandwiches contain more than half of the NHS‘s daily saturated fat limit for women, which is 20g.

When it came to unhealthy sugar content, Sainsbury’s Brie Bacon & Chilli Chutney Sandwich topped the charts with 19.7g sugar.

To put that into perspective, one would need to have two KitKat chocolate bars with 10.3g of sugar in each to beat the Sainsbury’s sandwich.

M&S’s All Day Breakfast Sandwich – a popular choice of meal on the go – has almost 10.1g of sugar.

That’s slightly less than a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut that comes with 12g of sugar.

NHS recommends that adults only consume a maximum of 30g of sugar each day to lead a healthy life.

Most of the sandwiches sold on Britain’s high streets are also far saltier than fast food.

For instance, Pret’s Ham & Grevé Baguette contained 3.85g of salt, making it saltier than four large portions of McDonald’s fries (0.82g of salt each).

And surprisingly, even M&S’s Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese Ploughman contained 1.78g – slightly more than two large McDonald’s fries.

Adults are advised to consume less than 6g of salt per day, according to the NHS.

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But as most of the supermarket sandwiches are unhealthy options for lunch, Brits can choose to swap them for healthier meals.

For example, a Cheese Ploughman’s sandwich from Boots comes at just 429 calories, making it the healthiest option so far.

And if you feel fancy, you can also try Itsu’s King Prawn Rice Box salad, which comes at just 407 calories.

It’s a filling option thanks to wholegrain brown rice, veggies, prawns and seeds.

Meanwhile, a Tuna Melt Panini from Starbucks packs in an impressive 28g of protein and has just 443 calories.

But if you are really conscious about your health and want to keep things below 400 calories, then Greggs‘ Pesto and Mozzarella Pasta can be your saviour.

This tasty option from Greggs is just  375 calories, even though its packed with cheese.

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