Weight Loss Management
Overweight? Don’t let it weight you down
Being above your ideal weight or falling in the obese category is a fairly common problem with 2/3 adults facing this issue. Excess weight can lead to several serious health problems such as diabetes, heart conditions, physical ailments, etc.
How we can help you lose weight?
If you’ve tried and failed to lose weight, our GP can help you by:
- assess your general health
- help identify the cause of your weight gain
- work out if there are any health issues causing you to put on weight
- discuss a plan to help you lose weight that suits you
You can assess the BMI calculator on this page to determine whether you need weight loss management.
What does our service include?
Our GP would want to assess your current weight by calculating your BMI and measuring your waist to determine whether your weight is at a healthy level or if you are at risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes or stroke. The GP would also be interested in assessing your current diet and levels of physical activity to work out a suitable personal weight loss goal and determine a way to work towards it.
Do you need medical assistance?
A BMI of 30 in low health risk patients and a BMI of 28 in patients with a pre-existing medical condition qualify for medical assistance with weight management.
We can prescribe medicine to help you to lose the extra weight — providing it’s suitable for you. We will give you complete advice on how to take the prescribed medicines and the lifestyle changes that would need to accompany this treatment in order to have effective, long-term results. If this approach works for you, you can potentially look into continuing the treatment for 12 months, checking in with us regularly to ensure you are on the right track.
Which weight loss medication is suitable for you?
- Saxenda, a weight loss injection aimed at suppressing people’s appetites is now available at Master’s Pharmacy. These injections mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which is released naturally after a meal, which helps you feel satiated quicker. The dose starts low and increases over the weeks to the recommended 3mg/day.
When combined with a low-fat food plan and moderate levels of activity, users of the weight loss injection can expect to lose 5% of their body weight in a three month period. The NHS has reiterated that Saxenda is a weight-loss aid which is likely to create favorable results when coupled with dietary and lifestyle changes.
Saxenda 6mg/ml pre filled pens x3 priced at £50/pen
Saxenda 6mg/ml pre filled pens x5 priced at 48/pen
- Orlistat 120 mg, a weight loss medicine which is taken in the form of capsules suitable for a 28 day period.
To decrease the chance of unpleasant side effects, it is very important that no more than 30% of the calories in your diet come from fat. Your daily intake of fat, protein, and carbohydrates should be evenly spread over 3 main meals. Also, this drug may interfere with absorption of certain vitamins, hence a multivitamin must be coupled with the intake of Orlistat. Please discuss it with our clinicians at your appointment.
84 capsules, priced at £0.60/capsule
- Xenical 120mg, another brand of Orlistat, this weight loss capsule is suitable for a 28 day period. Xenical blocks some of the fat that you eat, keeping it from being absorbed by your body. Xenical is used to aid in weight loss, or to help reduce the risk of regaining weight already lost. This medicine must be used together with a reduced-calorie diet and is to used only by adults.
84 capsules, priced at £0.69/capsule
What to expect?
Your consultation is free. During the consultation, our pharmacist will assess your needs and determine which medication/approach is right for you. To make sure you’re on track, you’ll have a progress evaluation with your pharmacist after 12 weeks.
