What are “Skinny Jabs”

With an estimated 23% of the UK population classed as obese, the country has the second highest rate of obesity in Europe. Despite this, the provision of weight loss treatments available on the NHS remains restrictive.

Saxenda is an injection treatment licensed for weight loss. It contains an ingredient called liraglutide, which is a synthetic derivative of GLP-1. Liraglutide is similar to a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-peptide (GLP-1) that is released from the intestine after a meal. Saxenda works by acting on receptors I the brain that control the appetite, causing a feeling of fullness and less hungry. This in turn helps to eat less food and reduce body weight.

Saxenda is used as an adjunct in weight management (in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity in individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of:

30 kg/m2 or more (having obesity), or in individuals with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or more (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related co-morbidity, i.e. pre-diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia etc.