How have weight loss drugs influenced diet culture?

The price of Mounjaro has gone up after the manufacturer increased wholesale costs

In an era of weight loss drugs, health experts are highlighting the use of the injections as one "tool" in a range of potential solutions for losing weight.

Dietician and health coach, Susan Burry, said the recent increase in attention on GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro had been "explosive".

"I have never seen so much attention paid to one tool... I don't think this is the be all and end all in weight loss," Ms Burry added.

She said that achieving the desired results was also about getting support and taking a personalised approach, not "just taking it because a celebrity is taking it".

"If they're going to take the medication, I would like them to have a support with that, which would mean nutrition counselling, exercise or maybe behaviour modification," Ms Burry said.

The injections work as an appetite suppressant and currently there are thought to be about 1.5 million people on weight loss drugs in the UK.

Claire Luvin said she trains about 10 women who use weight loss drugs

Nutritionist and trainer, Claire Luvin, said: "It has to be used just as a tool, it's not going to do the work for you, you have to do the things that are going to help you lose weight and maintain for the rest of your life."

Ms Luvin said she trains about 10 women who are using weight loss drugs but there is still some stigma to be tackled.

"I think diet culture believes that everyone should just eat less and move more but it's not as simple as that.

"There is no shame in taking a GLP-1 to improve your health in the same way there's no shame taking an antidepressant or a drug that's going to help you manage your blood pressure, it's the same thing," she added.

But Ms Luvin warned that it is not the right approach for everyone.

"If you're taking it to go from a size 10 to a size eight, then that's really ingrained in diet culture.

"What health benefits are you going to get by dropping a dress size?".

Medical consultant Dr Rob Greig has previously warned of the risks of the drugs if patients are not properly assessed.

"If you have a patient who has contraindications to any of these medications, they could end up becoming very sick," he said.

It follows his concerns about a lack of regulation and patients being able to access the drug online.