A ‘skinny jab’ is no quick fix for obesity – and no excuse to let junk food companies off the hook

‘Weekly injections of Wegovy [pictured] have to be combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise – which people already find difficult.’ Photograph: Jim Vondruska/Reuters

Humankind has been freed from the threat of disease by some wonderful, transformative inventions, from smallpox injections to the Covid vaccinations. With all due respect, I don’t think the so-called skinny jab is one of them.

A boom in injectable weight-loss drugs, such as Wegovy from the Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, a biological type 2 diabetes medication containing semaglutide, has promised to revolutionise obesity treatment in recent months. For some people with serious obesity-related health conditions, these appetite suppressants will indeed be a life-saver. Trials show Wegovy can help people lose 15% of their body weight, and the drug has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for use in the NHS. That’s good news for people whose health is already suffering.