Rowlands pharmacy has launched a new weight management service across its UK network, challenging perceptions around weight loss and providing expert support
to those in need.
The launch comprises a pilot roll-out across 100 Rowlands branches to increase consideration of pharmacies for weight management-based advice.
Commenting on the launch, Nigel Swift, managing director of Rowlands, said: "One of the biggest challenges facing many adults looking to address any weight concerns
is knowing where and how to start. Our new weight management service is designed to help all those setting out on a new weight loss journey but also those who have
struggled to find a plan that works for them."
"Our pharmacy teams offer comprehensive healthcare advice and a variety of weight management products with a friendly approach that naturally puts customers at ease,
and we're looking forward to welcoming all those looking to take their first step with us."
There are several benefits to losing weight, including higher self-esteem, better mood, improved sleep pattern, and better health in general. In addition,
you can prevent various health concerns associated with obesity, such as heart problems and diabetes. There are different ways to help reduce weight, including
lifestyle changes. It requires discipline, perseverance, and commitment to reach your goal and maintain it.
The first step to making these changes can be challenging, but you must push yourself and keep moving forward to achieve your objective. If you are a beginner, the
weight loss tips can be overwhelming, and some may be too hard to do that it could demotivate you or make you give up. So, we listed some tips for losing weight that
are ideal for beginners.
Set your goal
Although you may want to lose weight immediately, the truth is that it will not happen overnight. Remember that it did not take one day to gain all those extra
pounds, so you cannot lose them instantly. Setting your expectations straight is essential, so you won't be disappointed if you do not see an immediate result.
You need consistency to be where you want to be, so make sure you have a clear objective. You can set smaller goals that you can achieve within a shorter period,
then set another goal after that until you reach your ideal weight. You will feel motivated by these small wins, making you want to keep going.
The government has launched a new 'Better Health' campaign to help people working towards healthier weight and reduce the risk of being hospitalised with Covid-19.
The campaign launched in partnership with 15 weight management and physical activity partners will provide both free and discounted offers for weight management.
Public health minister Maggie Throup said the campaign will focus on improving adults' health and help them to achieve a healthier weight.
It will also include focus on the risk of serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and up to 12 types of cancer, to reducing the probability of hospitalisation with Covid-19.
Besides highlighting these health conditions, the campaign will emphasise how these could be prevented by losing excess weight.
Denmark's Zealand Pharma and Boehringer Ingelheim said their experimental obesity treatment achieved up to 14.9% weight loss in a mid-stage trial, lining up
a potential contestant in the booming obesity drug market.
In a statement on Wednesday (May 10), the partners said that the Phase II dose-finding trial met its primary endpoint of weight loss after 46 weeks.
Paola Casarosa, head of therapeutic areas at Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim told Reuters the partners are in discussion with regulators about the design of a
planned follow-up trial in the third and last phase of testing.
The enormous demand for weight-loss treatments such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, or potentially Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, could support as many as 10 competing products
with annual sales reaching up to $100 billion within a decade, mostly in the United States, industry executives and analysts said.
Lilly said about a year ago that Mounjaro was shown to reduce up to 22.5% in weight after 72 weeks of treatment in a much larger late-stage trial.
Part of a raft of National Health Services (NHS) measures which aim to support people to prevent or reduce incidence of type 2 diabetes and obesity, the
NHS Digital Weight Management Programme has emerged as a beacon of success in the battle against obesity, with a recent study showcasing its effectiveness in
aiding weight loss among participants.
According to research published in The Obesity Journal, the programme has garnered significant traction, with over 63,000 individuals referred in its inaugural year.
Encouragingly, half of those referred opted to enroll in the service, highlighting its appeal and accessibility.
Among the 14,000 participants who completed the 12-week programme between April 2021 and March 2022, a notable average weight loss of 3.9kg (equivalent to 8.59lbs)
was achieved.
Even among those who did not complete the programme, an average weight loss of 2.2kg (approximately 4.85lbs) was observed.
Medical professionals often prescribe semaglutide to patients who have type 2 diabetes. Along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, it has also
shown to be an incredibly efficient weight loss aid for patients. As the active ingredient in well-known brand-name drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus,
semaglutide is currently on everybody's lips. But what exactly is semaglutide? Does it really work for weight loss? We'll find an answer for you in this article,
and explain the main benefits of using semaglutide for weight loss.
What Is Semaglutide?
A number of diabetic and weight loss medications, including Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus, have semaglutide as their active ingredient. This substance is a
synthetic form of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), that occurs naturally. Developed by the company Novo Nordisk, semaglutide was first approved by
the FDA in 2017 as an injection for the treatment of adult type 2 diabetes (as part of the approval procedure for Ozempic). In 2019, the Food and Drug
Administration approved a novel semaglutide form known as Rybelsus. Rybelsus was the first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
in the United States.
Britain plans to launch a pilot programme exploring how new weekly weight-loss shots such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy can be given to obese patients by general
practitioners even as the drug's market launch remains unclear.
The government's announcement on the £40 million pilot programme comes after drug cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE in March recommended the use of Wegovy in adults
with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of 35, but only within the NHS specialist weight management scheme.
The timing of Wegovy's launch in Britain - which would be only the fourth country to use it - is uncertain, however, after Novo last month rationed starter doses
to secure supply to U.S. patients already on the regimen, after it was overwhelmed by demand there.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday (May 7) the pilot and fighting obesity-related diseases could reduce pressure on hospitals.
It would also support "people to live healthier and longer lives, and helping to deliver on my priority to cut NHS waiting lists".
The NHS endured a tough winter in England in particular, with waiting lists hitting record highs and staff striking for higher pay amid double-digit inflation.
A diet supplemented with vitamin D can help support healthy weight loss and reduce fat percentage, a new clinical study revealed.
A trial was conducted over a three-month period with 125 overweight and obese Southeastern European Caucasians with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.
Participants were prescribed vitamin D3 3000 IU/d oral spray supplementation, or a placebo, alongside a calorie-restricted diet programme of 600 kcal less than
the total energy expenditure of each individual.
The report stated that the group who were prescribed vitamin D witnessed significant improvements in serum 25(OH)D level and a greater reduction in body weight, BMI,
and fat percentage in all individuals within this group.
The study supported by BetterYou found that with the prevalence of low vitamin D becoming a serious global health problem in all ages, even in areas with natural sun
exposure throughout the year, the study shines a light on the importance of vitamin D supplementation.
British pharmacies and slimming clinics are reducing prices for weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro in a competitive bid to win patients.
Both Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) injection drugs are cleared for weight loss in combination with a reduced-calorie
diet and increased physical activity. Wegovy was launched in the UK market in September, with Mounjaro following in February.
Initially designed for treating type 2 diabetes, the drugs have been found to also induce weight loss by suppressing appetite and decelerating digestion.
As reported by Reuters, Simple Online Pharmacy has further reduced the price of starter doses of Mounjaro to £149 for a one-month supply. In February, the price
was cut to £159 ($198) from £179. Additionally, the pharmacy on Monday discounted the higher Mounjaro strengths that patients take later.
Throughout our lifetime, at some time or another, we can all find ourselves carrying a few extra unwanted pounds! Let's face it, in this day and age gaining
weight can be incredibly easy, sometimes all it takes is a break within our willpower, that leads us to give in to temptation! It can happen on our weekly shopping
trip, the moment we try our utmost to dodge that sweet however extremely inviting snack aisle, to then suddenly find ourselves failing immensely due to our
ever-hungry sweet tooth taking control. We can be sat in front of the TV at home watching our favorite show to then be cursed with the next advert, showcasing the
release of the next unhealthy, however extremely delicious sugary creation or we could be on our way to work fuelled on an empty stomach to find our full attention
stolen by the latest billboard advertising the next invention in the fast-food chain! Yes, it can be ever so easy to give in to the mouthwatering temptations the
world has to offer!
Amgen's experimental obesity drug demonstrated promising durability trends in an early trial, paving the way for a larger mid-stage study early next year,
company officials said ahead of a data presentation on Saturday (December 3).
The small Phase I trial found that patients maintained their weight loss for 70 days after receiving the highest tested dose of the injected drug, currently known as
AMG133.
Amgen shares have gained about 5% since the company said on Nov. 7 that 12 weeks of trial treatment at the highest monthly dose of AMG133 resulted in mean weight
loss of 14.5%.
At 150 days after the last dose, maintained weight loss had dropped to 11.2% below original weight at the start of the trial, according to findings detailed at a
meeting of World Congress of Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Los Angeles.
Patients treated with AMG133 did have side effects including nausea and vomiting, but most cases were mild and resolved within a couple of days after the first dose,
Amgen said.
A diabetes medicine, Mounjaro, has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to treat overweight patients.
The weight loss medication originally developed for Type 2 diabetes is now accessible to individuals aged 18 and over who are dealing with obesity and
weight-related health issues.
The active ingredient, tirzepatide, works by making the patient feel fuller and reducing food cravings.
The injection helps individuals lose 20 per cent of their body weight, and are advised to follow a reduced-calorie diet and increase physical activity
simultaneously.
Although it is not authorised to use on the NHS as yet but future approvals can be predicted.
New data on weight loss drugs that could compete with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy are raising expectations there will soon be more options, and possibly lower
prices, in an estimated $100 billion marketplace, doctors and pharmaceutical executives say.
Drugmakers are ratcheting up their research and aiming for new formulations that can be taken as pills, options to deliver higher weight loss or drugs that
reduce fat while maintaining muscle.
"It has really been an explosion of innovation," said Dr. Robert Gabbay, chief science officer at the American Diabetes Association (ADA), which receives
funding from both Novo and Eli Lilly and Co and just concluded its annual meeting in San Diego, California. "If there are multiple (treatments) in the market,
that will lead to some level of competition and greater access."
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and NHS England have agreed that community pharmacy contractors will have to participate in one
mandatory national health campaign.
This campaign on weight management commenced from Tuesday (03 January) and will run until Sunday (29January).
PSNC said: "Pharmacies can be required to participate in up to six health campaigns at the request of NHS England per year (1st April to 31st March).
Pharmacies will be involved by displaying and distributing leaflets provided by NHS England.
In addition, pharmacies are required to undertake prescription-linked interventions on major areas of public health concern, such as encouraging smoking cessation.
"Contractors can order pharmacy specific posters, wallet cards ('info' cards with a QR code signposting people to the Better Health website and free tips and tools
to lose weight) and a dispenser for these cards on the Campaign Resource Centre website. A guidance leaflet to support community pharmacy teams' conversations with
patients is also available," said PSNC.
The commencement of the weight management campaign has been postponed from the scheduled date of January 4, 2022 due to delay in the delivery of the campaign resource packs, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) stated.
After a new delivery date for the resource packs has been confirmed, PSNC will announce the new start date for the programme, which is the third mandated
health campaign for 2021/22.
The opinions of pharmacists on the ketogenic diet can vary greatly. Some believe that it is a potentially effective and safe way to lose weight, while others
are more skeptical about its ability to promote sustainable health benefits over the long term. Ultimately, the success of the ketogenic diet will depend on each
individual's unique circumstances and personal goals, so it is important to consult with a medical professional before making any major changes to your diet or
lifestyle.
1. KETO DIET IS CONSIDERED A GOOD WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT
Some people find that the ketogenic diet can boost their energy levels and help them lose weight quickly, while others feel that they are more easily able to stick
to this diet as it allows them to eat a wider variety of foods. Many people find that the ketogenic way of eating prevents cravings and helps them avoid unhealthy
food choices, which can be an important factor in weight loss success. So if you are starting your ketogenic diet journey, it is important to seek out the advice of
a medical professional who can help you create an individualized plan that will support your specific goals. It's also important to track your progress regularly
and monitor how you are feeling so that you can make any necessary adjustments along the way.
Weight loss drug Wegovy has transformed the obesity market and pharmaceutical companies with existing treatments are hoping the resulting demand will boost
demand for their older, less effective but cheaper, drugs.
A weekly injection of Wegovy, which was launched in the U.S. in June 2021, leads to an average weight loss of around 15%, alongside changes to diet and exercise.
Its impact has captured the attention of patients, investors and even celebrities.
But supply issues for Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk means the Danish drugmaker has struggled to meet surging U.S. demand, delaying a launch in most of Europe.
Insurers and some national governments have also baulked at its cost, while a minority of patients do not respond to it.
Vivus and Currax Pharmaceuticals, U.S.-based developers whose treatments have been on the U.S. market for around a decade, hope to benefit from the attention and
supply shortage.
But scientists and investors say that lower efficacy plus side effects could continue to hold the treatments back.
Some Habits That Ruin Your Weight Loss Plan. Although we may follow a strict diet plan and hit the gym.., sometimes it becomes nearly impossible to get rid of those extra pounds... The problem lies with the seemingly harmless everyday habits that we have nurtured over the years and...
While most of us are aware that eating cheesy sausages every day for breakfast is not really good for the waistline, there are many other subtle bad habits that keep on adding more pounds to our bodies. These habits are harmful because they have the potential to sabotage our weight loss plan.