Some 1.6 million adults in the UK used weight loss drugs over the past year, while more than 3.3 million more would be interested in using the drugs over the next year, according to a study published on Thursday.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) found that an estimated 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro to help lose weight between early 2024 and early 2025.
The study, published in BMC Medicine and funded by Cancer Research UK, consisted of data from 5,260 people who were representative of the general population and who responded to a survey conducted in early 2025, noted that use of the drugs was twice as common among women compared to men and more common among people in middle age (aged 45-55), and those who reported psychological distress in the past month.
The researchers also found that levels of use were similar across social grades, but that interest in using drugs to support weight loss in the future was greater among more typically disadvantaged groups (among whom obesity is more prevalent).
Sarah Jackson from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care who is alsothe lead author of the study said: "Our findings show that an estimated 4.9 million adults in Great Britain-nearly one in 10-have recently used a drug to support weight loss or were interested in using one in the near future.
"This usage far exceeds National Health Service (NHS) England's initial goal of prescribing these drugs to 220,000 people over three years," she noted.
Co-author Clare Llewellyn from the same institute highlighted that many people are accessing these medications outside the NHS.
"As obesity rates rise in the UK, this study shows growing public interest in weight loss medication," said Jo Harby, director of Health Information at Cancer Research UK, an independent cancer charity.
He warned: "While these drugs can aid weight loss, they're not a silver-bullet, as evidence suggests most people regain weight after treatment."
