A new survey has found that 18% of people in Northern Ireland have tried Ozempic injections in order to lose weight.
The findings come as obesity rates continue to rise in the UK while new and easier methods to encourage weight loss have become increasingly popular across the country.
One of the most popular and revolutionary amongst these new methods is the use of Semaglutide injections – originally intended for the treatment of type-2 Diabetes – to lose weight with minimal lifestyle changes required.
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These unsuspecting injections reached mainstream popularity for their weight loss potential after big-name celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, revealed that semaglutide was the secret to their rapid weight loss success.
Initially only approved for weight loss treatment in the United States, semaglutide injections – including the brand name Ozempic – became approved for use on the NHS earlier this year, and have since reached unprecedented levels of demand.
According to a leading pharmacy, demand for Semaglutide injections have increased sales by 300%.
Click Pharmacy surveyed 2,000 UK residents over the age of 16, asking them about their weight loss habits and experiences – including whether they had considered using or already used Semaglutide injections to help them lose weight.
The survey found that 49% of people living in Northern Ireland were currently trying to lose weight, with 23% saying they had tried to lose weight recently, and 14% having tried to lose weight for the majority of their lives.
Click Pharmacy found that 10% of Northern Ireland residents had used the drug and were happy with the outcome, with an additional 8% having used the treatment with less-favourable results.
Of those living in Northern Ireland who used Ozempic injections, 44% found it easy to lose weight while using the treatment – with 11% finding it very easy and 33% finding it somewhat easy.
Just 11% said that they found it difficult to lose weight when using the injections – with none saying it was very difficult and 11% finding it somewhat difficult.
Sadly, for many, weight loss is a significant cause of stress and can have a significant impact on everyday life.
Click Pharmacy found that 24% of Northern Ireland residents had their daily life significantly impacted by trying to lose weight, while 35% said their everyday life was somewhat affected.
The biggest age group that was currently trying to lose weight was those aged between 35-44 (31%), with 25-34-year-olds (30%) and 16-24-year-olds (29%) also responding heavily.
Overall, weight loss seems to be particularly prominent among younger generations, and is far more prevalent in women. Generally, women seem to struggle more with weight loss than men – with almost double (58%) the number of female respondents overall finding it hard to do, in comparison to 30% of males.
Jana Abelovska, Superintendent Pharmacist at Click Pharmacy said: “Our survey revealed that, sadly, many in Northern Ireland struggle with weight loss.
“For over half of Northern Irish people that we spoke to, the weight loss process was difficult – with 18% finding it very difficult.
“Just under half of Northern Irish respondents we asked said they were currently trying to lose weight, highlighting how widespread weight loss is.
“Additionally, 14% told us they have tried losing weight for the majority of their lives – reinforcing that this is an ongoing problem that can cause many to feel stuck in a rut. It can be frustrating to feel as though none of your weight loss attempts are yielding results.”
She added: “We found that, for 24% of people in Northern Ireland, the weight loss process has had a significant impact on their everyday life and wellbeing, with 35% saying they had been impacted somewhat by their attempts to lose weight.
“With the recent surge in popularity of semaglutide injections as a weight loss treatment, our survey revealed that 18% of people in Northern Ireland have tried Ozempic injections to lose weight – with 10% finding the results to be successful, while 8% were not-so-happy with the outcome.
“There was a significant interest in using the drug in Northern Ireland, with 20% saying they have not yet used Ozempic but would like to – while 6% said they would be interested in using Ozempic, but have been unable to get hold of the injections due to stock shortages.
“As manufacturers increase their production capacity, it is reasonable to believe that there will be an increase in Northern Irish users.”
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