Lancashire’s director of public health has said weight-loss vaccines should not be viewed simply as a “quick fix” and people need to consider their wider relationship with food.
An estimated 1.6 million UK adults used these drugs, including Mounjaro and Wegovy, in 2024 and early 2025.
The University of London study also found that twice as many women as men took the drug, and it was most common among people aged 45-55.
However, Dr Sakthi Karunanithi said “medicines alone will not solve the problem” and warned “we need to think carefully about what we eat”.
He told BBC Radio Lancashire: “The vaccine does work, but people do need it over a long period of time and it only works in people with serious conditions that affect their health, such as heart disease or diabetes.”
“Mounjaro is available on the NHS but only to people who would benefit most from the drug, such as those with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
“The question is do we want to become overweight and have Mounjaro stick to us, or do we need to change our relationship with food?” he said.
“We need to think carefully about what we eat – less processed food and more fiber-rich foods.
“It’s about more exercise and nutrition and taking care of our habits.”
Dr Sakthi Karunanithi says people should consider eating less processed food [BBC]
Meanwhile, Dr Rahul Thakur of Pendle View Medical Clinic in Briarfield said people were calling the clinic every day to inquire about injections.
He said the drugs were “a breakthrough in obesity management” but when people stopped taking them, “the effects reverse and people start to gain weight unless behavior changes”.
Pharmacist Cathryn Brown agrees it’s important to “address the underlying causes of weight gain in the first place.”
“If a person is a comfort eater, or someone who snacks on the couch at night, it’s important to figure out how to change that underlying behavior,” she said.
“That’s why it’s so important to get these medicines through pharmacy-led services or through the NHS.”
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