Hannah McLaverty-Willamson recently reported some frightening figures on expenditure by the NHS on the Therapy Lounge website. To read the article in full click here. or read the highlights below.
A dramatic rise in the number of patients being prescribed slimming pills, has left the NHS with a bill of nearly £50 million.
The number of prescriptions for Orlistat, one of the most popular slimming drugs recently broke the million mark for the first time. The cost of the prescription drug, which stops the body absorbing fat has soared to £35.7 million which is three quarters of the all of the money spent by the NHS on anti-obesity drugs.
As reported by the Daily Mail in 2009 alone the NHS spent £47 million on drugs similar to Orlistat, which is a 13 per cent rise on spending in 2008 and a huge 55 per cent increase since 2005.
At present it is estimated that 30,000 people die every year in the UK because of their obesity. The total cost of fat related illness to the NHS is thought to have cost more than £4 billion, which has left many people arguing that those suffering with obesity should find alternative ways to lose weight which is not at the tax payers expense.
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