Friday, February 1, 2008

Obesity Prescription Numbers Pass One Million After Eightfold Increase In Eight Years- UK

“More than one million NHS prescription items were dispensed to treat obesity in England in 2006 - eight times the number dispensed in 1999. The number of items dispensed in primary care was 1.06 million in 2006, compared to 127,000 in 1999, a report for The Information Centre for health and social care (The IC) shows today (31 January 2008). The majority of these were for two drugs; Sibutramine and Orlistat. Sibutramine alters chemical messages to the brain that control feelings and thoughts about food, while the other, Orlistat, prevents some fat absorption in the intestine. The findings come from a compendium of statistics on obesity, physical activity and diet, published today alongside the Health Survey for England 2006.”

No comments: