Why weight loss jabs might not be a wonder drug
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Recent years have seen the advent of weight loss drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy. They work by suppressing users' appetites, leading to weight loss.
They've been described as wonder drugs but now, new figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) show they may be associated with inflammation of the pancreas, which could lead to death.
Niall Paterson speaks to Sky's science correspondent Thomas Moore about these new findings and how cautious they should make us. We also hear from Lorna, a mother who got acute pancreatitis while she was on a weight loss drug - she believes the drugs are not worth the risks.
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Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Three out of five anorexia patients at top eating disorders clinic tell docs they've been using weight-loss jabs like Ozempic or Mounjaro - including children as young as SIXTEEN
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The Sun
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
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'This has consequences for a child's attentiveness, interpersonal skills such as listening in conversation, ability to engage in academia or any other activity that doesn't provide a dopamine release at regular intervals.' A study from King's College London found that one in four children has 'problematic smartphone usage', meaning they use their devices in a way that is consistent with addiction. Banned in lessons But none of the teens we polled considered their phone use to be unusual or over the top. They all went to bed with their devices and checked them as soon as they woke. Every one of them was allowed to take their handset to school, though the vast majority were banned from using devices in lessons. Some continued to text anyway, while others said teachers didn't enforce the rules. Lottie Taylor, 14, from Farsley, Leeds, received 1,243 messages over a week — 75 per cent of them via Snapchat. She said: 'I like Streaks and have 39 people I send to on a daily basis. 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Meanwhile, Logan Hook, 15, from Pudsey, West Yorkshire, received 528 messages in a week on Snapchat and WhatsApp. He said: 'I'm in a couple of WhatsApp groups for football mates, and one with school mates. 'I don't think I get a crazy amount of messages, but I will chat to arrange stuff or talk football.' In messages on a football team WhatsApp group, sneakily sent during class time, one friend laments his poor performance on the pitch, saying: 'I was awful.' Another pal adds: 'I didn't play bad but didn't play good either', before Logan replies: 'What do you think ur doing texting in class'. ART McGRATH, 16 - Leyton, East London 4 Messages per week: 2,493 Average per day: 356 Platforms: Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram Parent: Dad Nick, 54, a writer, gets around 160 messages in a day, mostly on WhatsApp. LOGAN HOOK, 15 - Pudsey, West Yorks 4 Messages per week: 528 Average per day: 75 Platforms: Snapchat and WhatsApp Parent's use: Mum Kirsty, 44, a doctor's receptionist, gets around 55 messages a day, mainly on WhatsApp. LOTTIE TAYLOR, 14 - Farsley, Leeds Messages per week: 1,234 Average per day: 178 Parent's use: Mum Lydia, 43, has around 186 messages a day on WhatsApp, texts and Instagram. 'Getting more addictive' By Daisy Greenwell, Founder of the campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood THE amount of messages these kids receive is staggering. I was also struck by how long teens are maintaining their Snapchat Streaks for. These findings make me particularly angry because it's a design seemingly aimed at keeping kids on their phones for as long as possible. Children are being manipulated into staring at a rectangular screen when they could be out discovering the real world with real friends. The amount of time kids spend with friends has plummeted since 2010, when they started getting smartphones, while cases of teenage anxiety, depression and self-harm have skyrocketed. Seven in ten students believe phone use has harmed their academic performance. It's not surprising! Studies show it takes 20 minutes to refocus after your attention has been broken. If that's happening hundreds of times a day, that's a large portion of your day you're not focused on what you're doing or what's happening around you. Phones will not stop getting more addictive unless change happens. We are working with politicians to pressure the Government into stopping profit-driven companies from infiltrating our kids' minds.
