Key points from article :
Semaglutide, a weight loss jab that gained popularity in the US, has been approved for use by the NHS in England.
Marketed as Wegovy, and the NICE concluded it as safe, effective and affordable.
Delivered via an injection into the skin, the drug makes people feel fuller and more satisfied, so they eat less.
Once-weekly injections will be prescribed by a specialist for a maximum of two years.
Clinical trials show that semaglutide with nutrition and lifestyle changes reduce people's weight by over 10%.
Recommended for people with at least one weight-related health condition, as well as those with obese BMI.
Drug works as an appetite suppressant by mimicking an intestinal hormone called Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
A 36-year old women with obesity, PCOS and insulin resistance lost almost 30 kgs of weight with semaglutide.
Like all medication, the drug comes with side-effects and risks - including nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Rapid weight loss can also lead to the skin losing collagen and elastin, causing what Vogue has dubbed the gaunt "Ozempic face".
Weight goes back on when people come off the drug, regaining around two-thirds of lost weight within two years, said James Gallagher, science correspondent.
"It is not intended to be a lifestyle weight-loss product in the UK, but for the purpose of improving health," - Duane Mellor, dietitian.
