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Patients could save £1,000 a year on weight loss jabs by exercising more to show they are willing to overhaul their lifestyles.
A 25 per cent discount will be offered by Boots to patients if they start going to the gym or jogging 3.1 miles (5km) a week.
The high street pharmacy has partnered with health insurance firm Vitality to offer discounted Mounjaro and Wegovy.
The discount is intended to be an incentive to obese patients to make long-term changes to their lifestyle to make their weight loss sustainable and to avoid piling the weight back on.
Under the scheme members of vitality will earn points based on how healthy their lifestyle is, with gym visits, step counts and NHS health visits all adding points, The Times reported.
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A 25 per cent discount will be offered by Boots to patients if they start going to the gym or jogging 3.1 miles (5km) a week (stock image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The more points a patient collects the higher discount they will be offered, with the maximum being 25 per cent off weight-loss jabs purchased from Boots Online Doctor service – this could add up to a saving of £1,000 a year considering the highest dose of Mounjaro costs about £335 a month.
The scheme is open to members of Vitality through private health insurance or workplace schemes.
Around 2 million people are currently using weight loss jabs in the UK. But recent findings suggest keeping the weight off after stopping the so-called miracle drugs can be extremely challenging.
Researchers at the University of Oxford discovered that people on weight loss drugs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy lose weight during treatment. But they often regain it within 20 months of stopping the jabs, which is four times faster than traditional dieters.
Research suggests those who have lost weight need robust support to make lifestyle changes to maintain their progress, from exercise to diet advice.
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Boots launched the first high street service for weight loss jabs last month in 17 stores (Getty/iStock)
Dr Katie Tryon, the deputy chief executive for Vitality Health, explained that exercise increased the benefits of weight loss medication because it prevents muscle loss and boosts overall strength and cardiovascular function.
She told The Times: “We’ve got lots of evidence to show that if you start losing weight, it becomes easier to exercise. There is this wonderful flywheel effect. It’s really important that you’re doing all these healthy things, and not just thinking, ‘well, it’s fine, I’m on medication to lose weight’.”
It comes after Boots launched the first high street service for weight loss jabs last month in 17 stores.
Weight loss jabs – which works by mimicking the natural hormone that regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion – can’t be bought over the counter and must be prescribed by a qualified healthcare professional, such as a GP or pharmacist, following a consultation.
Until now, almost all weight-loss prescriptions by Boots were issued after an online consultation, rather than face-to-face. But this new scheme will see patients have a consultation in a private room where their medical history will be taken, and weight and height measured, to determine if they are eligible.
Boots has been selling Wegovy, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, for three years. It also sells Mounjaro, which is offered on the NHS.
Prices start at £99.97 for the lowest dose of Wegovy and £176.97 for the lowest dose of Mounjaro. The in-store service will offer access to the same treatment as the Boots Online Doctor service, and at the same price.