475: Semaglutide - a game-changer for the obesity crisis?

<div>In England, more people living with obesity will soon have access to the latest weight loss drugs following the announcement of a £40 million two-year pilot scheme.<br> <br> It comes after NICE, the organisation that publishes guidance on the use of new treatments, <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta875">gave approval for the medical use of the appetite suppressant semaglutide</a>, marketed as Wegovy, earlier this year.<br> <br> Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that the new drug could be a “game-changer” for the <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/the-glimmer-of-hope-in-an-otherwise-damning-who-obesity-report-food-podcasts/">obesity epidemic</a>, especially with obesity costing the NHS £6bn a year.<br> <br> But critics say patients put the weight back on after stopping treatment.<br> <br> So how effective is semaglutide? Are we committing people to a lifetime of treatment? And what could it all mean for the fight against obesity?<br> <br> </div>