A study suggests that weight loss medications like Ozempic may help reduce the risk of overdose and alcohol intoxication in people with substance use disorders.

As for why it’s not approved for weight loss in the UK, Dr Kayat added: “It works by helping to regulate your appetite and reduce cravings and hunger. But in the UK, it’s only supposed to be used for type 2 diabetes, and that’s in order to try and protect the resources for the type 2 diabetics.”

Britain will study whether the use of Eli Lilly's weight loss drug can get people back into work and help tackle the high rate of long-term sickness that has become a major drag on the economy. Health minister Wes Streeting predicted the use of the drug - a competitor to Novo Nordisk's Ozempic - could help transform the health of the nation,

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said weight-loss drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly and Co’s Mounjaro could help improve the UK economy and lift pressures on the country’s beleaguered National Health Service,

The UK plans to test US firm Eli Lilly' s weight loss jab Mounjaro to help the burden on the national healthcare system. Over a quarter of UK adults suffered from obesity in 2023 according to government data.