Jump to: Which is the best fat-loss jab? | How often do I need to use fat-loss jabs? | How do fat-loss jabs work in your body? | What are the side effects of fat-loss jabs? | How much do fat-loss jabs cost? | How do I buy fat-loss jabs?
In the UK, there are currently three fat-loss jabs available:
- Semaglutide: more commonly known as Ozempic and Wegovy
- Liraglutide: more commonly known as Saxenda
- Tirzepatide: more commonly known as Mounjaro
It’s worth noting that all of these fat-loss jabs are expensive.
Paying privately, generally, you’ll pay at least £299 per month for these jabs, and possibly more.
This is due to the current high demand for these slimming injections both in the UK and also the rest of the world (particularly in the U.S.), which means they are in short supply.
You may ask yourself whether you can get these fat-loss jabs for free on the NHS? It’s possible, but they are typically reserved for quite specific people.
For example, you’d only likely be able to get liraglutide (Saxenda) if you’ve been referred to what’s called a ‘Tier 3 weight management service’, which is a specialist NHS service for people typically with a BMI of over 35 and more complex weight-loss requirements.
For semaglutide, this is typically prescribed through the NHS for people who are living with type 2 diabetes and for whom other medications, such as metformin, are not deemed appropriate.
Currently, Second Nature is the only UK company that provides private fat-loss jabs and is also trusted by the NHS to provide weight-loss services.
Our general recommendation is to try our weight-loss programme first before considering trying fat-loss jabs. We say this for 3 reasons:
- Our weight-loss programme is cheaper (£40 per month instead of £299+ per month)
- Changing your lifestyle habits is typically more sustainable in the long run
- You’re less likely to have any side effects from changing your lifestyle habits
That being said, if you’re determined to try a fat-loss jab like semaglutide, and you also meet the strict eligibility criteria, then we’re going to be biased and suggest that you try Second Nature over other providers (like Boots, Superdrug, Manual, Numan, etc).
Why? For peace of mind
The NHS has used Second Nature for over 6 years, and we ensure we abide by the highest levels of data security and patient safety.
With that, we believe there comes a level of authenticity and peace of mind that other providers cannot match.
Which is the best fat-loss jab?
Based on data from randomised controlled trials (the gold standard of medical research), the best weight-loss injection that’s available in the UK in 2024 is called tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro in the UK.
Research has shown that Mounjaro supports an average weight loss of around 25% after one year.
Other options available in the UK are semaglutide and liraglutide. Below, we’ve ranked the top three weight-loss injections that are available in the UK in 2024.
- Tirzepatide (Mounjaro): Average weight loss of 25%
- Semaglutide (Wegovy): Average weight loss of 15-17%
- Liraglutide (Saxenda): Average weight loss of 5-7%
How often do I need to use fat-loss jabs?
As noted above, if you’re using liraglutide (Saxenda) then you’ll need to inject this every day. If you’re using semaglutide then the injection frequency is once a week.
This alone will guide many people’s decisions to which fat-loss jab they choose, because a daily injection is far less desirable than a once-weekly injection.
How do fat-loss jabs work in your body?
Both semaglutide and liraglutide mimic a natural hormone in your body called GLP-1.
To keep things as simple as possible, the GLP-1 hormone has 3 major effects:
- It slows the rate of food movement from your stomach to your small intestine
- It has some satiety-managing effects on your brain i.e. makes you less hungry
- It modulates the release of the insulin and glucagon hormones in your body, ultimately leading to lower blood sugar levels (generally a good thing)
The natural GLP-1 hormone in your body only lasts for a few minutes, whereas the GLP-1 drugs, such as semaglutide, can last for many hours & days. This means they can have the above effects over a more sustained period of time.
If you’d like to read in more detail about how these GLP-1 fat-loss jabs work, then you can check out our weight-loss jabs guide or our longer guide on GLP-1 receptor agonists.
What are the side effects of fat-loss jabs?
The most common side effects of semaglutide are nausea, constipation, vomiting, and other symptoms affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, like diarrhoea.
These symptoms most commonly occur around the time of the injection and as you increase the dosage of the medication over time, and then symptoms typically ease after adapting to the medication.
As you might have linked from the section above about how these GLP-1 drugs work, it’s thought that these side effects are linked to your body adapting to the new and slower rate of food moving through your digestive system.
It’s worth noting that everyone responds differently to these medications; some people won’t experience any side effects, whilst others will.
We have a longer guide on semaglutide side effects if you’re interested to read more.
How much do fat-loss jabs cost?
Fat-loss jabs are not cheap. In 2023 you can expect to pay at least £299 per month, but most likely more. This is primarily because of a global shortage of these fat-loss jabs due to overwhelming demand.
It’s expected that the cost of fat-loss jabs will stabilise in 2024, but if and when this happens will come down to the decisions of the pharmaceutical drug manufacturers.
How do I buy fat-loss jabs?
Second Nature has two medication-supported programmes: a Wegovy weight-loss programme and a Mounjaro weight-loss programme.
If you’ve made the decision to try Wegovy or Mounjaro (assuming you’re eligible), why should you choose Second Nature over other medication providers?
For peace of mind.
Second Nature has worked with the NHS for over 6 years providing weight-loss programmes across the UK.
Whilst our Wegovy and Mounjaro weight-loss programmes are private and not currently used by the NHS, we’ve built the programmes with a focus on scientific evidence, patient safety, and data security.
We hope that our 6+ years of working with the NHS and building a track record of effective weight-loss results will give you peace of mind to give us a try.
