Latest news with #HealthSurveyforEngland
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The three lifestyle factors putting a million UK adults at risk of dying early
About a million people in England are putting themselves at risk of dying early because they are overweight and combine drinking too much and smoking, research has found. The 'triple threat' disproportionately raises their risk of diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke, Type-2 diabetes, liver disease and mental health conditions, experts warn. One doctor said the combination may cut 20 years from someone's life. Analysis of a Health Survey for England by charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) found that 22 per cent of adults in England – at least 10 million people – have two or more of the three risk factors. About 2 per cent – a million adults – fall into all three categories. Public-health experts warned two years ago that high levels of obesity, excessive drinking and health inequalities were costing the economy £15bn a year. Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said each of the three habits carried a risk, but when combined the danger is exaggerated. 'These poor health outcomes are not only avoidable, but they also place a huge and growing strain on the NHS and our economy,' he said. "We urgently need a joined-up approach to public health policymaking that tackles these issues together, rather than in isolation, if we are to see the much-needed governmental shift from sickness to prevention.' The combined effects of smoking, drinking and being overweight are often greater than the sum of individual risks, studies have shown. The new analysis of 2021 data also found that: ● 5.9 million people (13 per cent of adults) have factors of being overweight or obesity and drinking ● 2.5 million (6 per cent of adults) are overweight or obese and smoke ● 0.6 million (1 per cent of adults) drink and smoke without being overweight Prof Gilmore, a former president of the Royal College of Physicians, told The Guardian it was likely that smoking, grade three obesity and heavy drinking would reduce life expectancy by at least 20 years. Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: 'These are not issues of individual behaviour, but issues of industry behaviour or tactics. 'Behind the statistics on smoking, alcohol and unhealthy food-related disease lie multi-million-pound industries that operate in darkly similar ways – producing, marketing and selling products that damage our wellbeing. 'The government will not be able to meet its ambition of shifting from prevention to treatment until it recognises this.' Caroline Cerny, the deputy chief executive of Ash, said the government's forthcoming 10-year plan was an opportunity to 'get a firm grip on the causes of ill health that are shortening the lives of people and placing a huge strain on the NHS'. She called for targets to cut smoking, drinking and excess weight, introducing minimum-unit pricing of alcohol in England and extending the sugar tax. Health secretary Wes Streeting is next week due to unveil his 10-year plan for the NHS, aimed at tackling inequalities through fundamental reforms, and measures such as sending health workers door-to-door. People will be urged to monitor their own health with technology such as smart watches that monitor blood pressure and glucose levels. The Department of Health and Social Care was approached for comment but a spokesperson told The Guardian ministers were committed to tackling obesity through a ban on the advertising of junk food on television before 9pm and a planned new food strategy. They also an extra £310m had been put to treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, while the Tobacco and Vapes Bill phases out the sale of cigarettes.
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
What are the long-term side effects of weight loss injections?
Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names💊 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Weight loss injections are becoming a popular option for those wanting to lose weight. Drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy are now household names. NICE has approved Mounjaro for weight loss treatment for those who meet the criteria in the UK. Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names. The medications, which were originally a treatment for type 2 diabetes, have been helping those living with obesity lose weight. The 2022 Health Survey for England estimated that 28% of adults were obese and 36% were classified as being overweight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Medications to help lose weight have been gaining in popularity, with NHS England approving prescriptions for Tirzepatide (also called Mounjaro), from March 2025 to those who meet the criteria. Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names. | Canva Speaking in October 2024 about Mounjaro being made available on the NHS, Dr Sam Roberts, chief executive of NICE said: 'This drug will be a powerful part of our arsenal to tackle obesity and support many more people to lose weight and reduce their risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke. 'This phased rollout will ensure those with the greatest clinical need can access it as a priority – with a quarter of a million people able to benefit over the first three years – while we develop new and innovative services through which other weight loss treatments can also be delivered.' So, what do we know about weight loss injections, how do they work and are there any long-term side effects? Here's everything you need to know. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How do weight loss injections work? Weight loss injections work by regulating your appetite by mimicking a naturally produced hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Superdrug explain that normally when we eat food, GLP-1 is released, so the medication makes your brain feel you are full and reduces feelings of hunger. Are there any side effects? Weight loss injections may cause side effects for some people. Boots explain that they should be mild and improve or even disappear after a few weeks of starting your treatment. Side effects can include: nausea or heartburn, constipation, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, injection site reactions, gallstones and inflammation of the gall bladder. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you are taking Mounjaro or Wegovy, all the side effects that you experience should be reported using the Yellow Card Scheme. What are the long term side effects? Weight loss injections are long-term treatments, with prescriptions for Wegovy available for two years. According to the British Heart Foundation some research suggests that they can help reduce diseases including heart attacks and strokes. However, rare but serious side-effects could include gall bladder disease, inflammation of the pancreas and kidney issues. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The long-term side effects of weight loss injections are still being studied, there is still a lot that is not known about how taking GLP-1 agonists can affect different areas of the body. If you have a health story to share with us, we'd love to hear from you. You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
What are the long-term side effects of weight loss injections?
Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names💊 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Weight loss injections are becoming a popular option for those wanting to lose weight. Drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy are now household names. NICE has approved Mounjaro for weight loss treatment for those who meet the criteria in the UK. Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names. The medications, which were originally a treatment for type 2 diabetes, have been helping those living with obesity lose weight. The 2022 Health Survey for England estimated that 28% of adults were obese and 36% were classified as being overweight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Medications to help lose weight have been gaining in popularity, with NHS England approving prescriptions for Tirzepatide (also called Mounjaro), from March 2025 to those who meet the criteria. Weight loss injections including Mounjaro and Wegovy have became household names. | Canva Speaking in October 2024 about Mounjaro being made available on the NHS, Dr Sam Roberts, chief executive of NICE said: 'This drug will be a powerful part of our arsenal to tackle obesity and support many more people to lose weight and reduce their risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke. 'This phased rollout will ensure those with the greatest clinical need can access it as a priority – with a quarter of a million people able to benefit over the first three years – while we develop new and innovative services through which other weight loss treatments can also be delivered.' So, what do we know about weight loss injections, how do they work and are there any long-term side effects? Here's everything you need to know. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How do weight loss injections work? Weight loss injections work by regulating your appetite by mimicking a naturally produced hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Superdrug explain that normally when we eat food, GLP-1 is released, so the medication makes your brain feel you are full and reduces feelings of hunger. Are there any side effects? Weight loss injections may cause side effects for some people. Boots explain that they should be mild and improve or even disappear after a few weeks of starting your treatment. Side effects can include: nausea or heartburn, constipation, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, injection site reactions, gallstones and inflammation of the gall bladder. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you are taking Mounjaro or Wegovy, all the side effects that you experience should be reported using the Yellow Card Scheme. What are the long term side effects? Weight loss injections are long-term treatments, with prescriptions for Wegovy available for two years. According to the British Heart Foundation some research suggests that they can help reduce diseases including heart attacks and strokes. However, rare but serious side-effects could include gall bladder disease, inflammation of the pancreas and kidney issues. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The long-term side effects of weight loss injections are still being studied, there is still a lot that is not known about how taking GLP-1 agonists can affect different areas of the body.
The Guardian
02-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
BMI of 1 million ethnic minority adults in England wrongly classified
A million ethnic minority adults are wrongly classified as weighing below the thresholds for being overweight or obese due to official figures not using up-to-date guidance, a leading charity has warned. Analysis by Nesta has found that, while official statistics class 64% of adults in England as being overweight or living with obesity, the correct figure should be 67%. The 3% difference between Nesta's analysis and Health Service for England data represents around a million people, and is explained by Black and Asian adults being underrepresented in the data. Nesta found that recorded rates of Black adults being overweight or living with obesity should be 13 percentage points higher. For Asian adults, the figure should be 18 percentage points higher. The error in the official figures is the result of government statistics not using new body mass index (BMI) calculations. Earlier this year, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) updated its BMI measurement guidelines to recommend lower thresholds for adults from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds. Nice's revised thresholds reflect the fact that people from certain minority backgrounds have a greater risk of some chronic health conditions – such as cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes – at a lower threshold than their white counterparts. The updated guidance also addresses how body composition, which includes variations in fat and muscle mass, varies across ethnic groups. People from Black, Asian, and other minority backgrounds are more prone to central adiposity, which occurs when excess fat accumulates around the abdomen and is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and related mortality. Nesta, a charity that promotes innovation, said that the government should make sure the updated Nice thresholds are adopted in future publications of the Health Survey for England. Parita Doshi, deputy director of healthy life at Nesta, said: 'Reducing Britain's obesity levels is achievable, but only with a clear-eyed understanding of the size of the problem and levels of inequality. 'NHS England and DHSC [the Department of Health and Social Care] should look to ensure these guidelines are adopted in future health data publications, to provide a clear picture of the challenge of reducing obesity in the country.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Jabeer Butt OBE, the chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, said: 'The analysis carried out by Nesta shows the urgent need for better guidance and training for healthcare staff on assessing health risks for people of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds. 'However, this analysis should also make the government prioritise action on drivers of poorer health, such as insecure employment [and] poor-quality housing in economically deprived areas, amongst other issues. Those who will conclude that it is individuals' choices about diet and exercise that needs to change will have misunderstood Nesta's analysis.' The DHSC was approached for comment.
Times
28-04-2025
- Health
- Times
Liver disease is on the rise. Here's what you need to know
New data from the British Liver Trust has highlighted a fourfold rise in mortality rates for liver disease over the past 50 years, making it one of the leading causes of death in adults under 65. And because the organ has such huge reserves, many of those affected remain blissfully unaware that they are heading for trouble. Might you be one of them? The liver is the organ equivalent of Monty Python's Black Knight, who battles on despite losing his arm (and eventually all his limbs) in a sword fight with King Arthur, declaring: 'Tis but a scratch.' Put simply, by the time many people develop symptoms of liver damage, the organ is often approaching irreversible end-stage failure. There are lots of reasons people develop liver disease, but the main drivers behind the increase over the past 50 years have been viral infection (particularly hepatitis C in the UK), our expanding waistlines, alcohol, and a combination of all three. • Gulp! I took a £300 liver test after drinking Christmas dry Hepatitis C warrants a whole article in itself, not least because advances in antiviral therapy have transformed the outlook for people with the infection. Thankfully it is now much less common than it used to be. As for alcohol, the latest Health Survey for England revealed that 32 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women questioned admitted drinking more than the recommended maximum of 14 units a week, with the heaviest drinkers being in the 45-65 age group. The weekly limit errs on the low side as it is hard to predict how alcohol affects individuals, but I often encounter problems (not all liver related — see below) in people drinking 20-30 units a week, and in those consuming 50 or more it's not so much if they will run into trouble as when. However, the link between diet and lifestyle and non-alcohol related fatty liver disease — or, to use its latest medical title, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) — isn't so well appreciated, despite it being very common. The British Liver Trust estimates that at least one in five adults in the UK now have some degree of MASLD, most of whom will probably never know and go on to fall ill and die from something different. However, a significant minority will develop worrying liver disease unless mitigating steps are taken. Most (but not all) people with MASLD are overweight or obese, with apple-shaped men and women who store fat around their midriff being at particular risk. It is also linked to poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol levels, raised blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and, in women, polycystic ovarian syndrome. If you have ever eaten foie gras you will know what a fatty liver looks like: pale and yellow rather than a healthy pink. We may not be cruelly force-fed ducks or geese, but overindulgence has a similar effect in humans, and the resulting fatty infiltration can be the start of a scarring process that leads to stiffening of the liver and, eventually, cirrhosis and failure. Indeed, similar fatty changes are typically the first sign of trouble in heavy drinkers too, and the pathway to irreversible liver failure much the same from a pathological point of view. You can both drink and eat yourself to a liver disease-related death. Routine blood tests can pick up signs that the liver is struggling (higher than normal levels of liver enzymes in the blood) but, because of the liver's initial resilience, getting the all clear from these doesn't mean yours is healthy. Ultrasound scans are better at detecting early signs of trouble, particularly a FibroScan, which evaluates the stiffness of the organ (a measure of scarring). Both are available on the NHS but generally only where there is a clinical indication, such as deranged blood results. Private screening scans are available to anyone willing to pay — typically £160 to £500 a time depending on the test and the clinic — but in many cases are only likely to confirm what you already suspect: that you are drinking too much, or your diet, lifestyle and/or weight need addressing. • Read more from Dr Mark Porter on The Times Treatment for MASLD is all about modifying risk factors. What is good for your heart is good for your liver, so lose excess weight, eat healthily, don't drink excessively and exercise. And, if you have underlying health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or very high cholesterol levels, ensure these are well controlled. And if a liver function test does come back as slightly abnormal, don't dismiss it (something we doctors are just as guilty of doing as our patients). At the very least regard it as a warning shot, and a prompt to take a closer look at your diet, lifestyle and weight. It won't just be your liver that thanks you. Totting up weekly units of alcohol is only half the story if you are worried about your drinking — or someone else's. Just as important is how drinking affects your social life, work, relationships and health. You don't need to drink heavily every day to have alcohol use disorder (AUD). The Audit questionnaire is a screening tool developed by the World Health Organisation. It's not foolproof, but should identify nine out of ten people at risk from their drinking. You can screen yourself at
