NHS app to help obese lose fifth of body weight

THE NHS is to roll out diet coach apps and drugs that could help people lose up to a fifth of their body weight.

Ministers will today announce a £20 million research project to develop and fast-track digital tools and treatments to help people shed the pounds.

Almost two in three adults in England are overweight or obese, fuelling record levels of deadly conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Obesity costs the NHS £6 billion a year, which is forecast to reach almost £10 billion by 2050.

Officials said research so far had found some medication and technology, including online portals that encourage lifestyle changes, could help people lose up to a fifth of their weight.

A third of those prescribed diabetes drug Semaglutide in trials lost up to 20 per cent of their body weight. The drug – which works by hijacking the body’s own appetite-regulating system in the brain, leading to reduced hunger – has been described as “game changing”.

A study of Tirzepatide, another diabetes drug, found patients put on the highest dose on average also lost 20 per cent of their body weight.

Some parts of the NHS already offer behavioural coaching via apps, as well as trackers and calorie counters. Other schemes being tested include brain training on smartphones to help dieters to resist temptation.

One Cardiff University study found using online games to boost willpower can help users cut 200 calories a day.

Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, said: “We are fast-tracking the most promising treatments and technologies to NHS patients to help them achieve a healthy weight, save the NHS billions of pounds and increase life expectancy.”

The move is part of a Vaccine Taskforce approach to tackling some of the leading public health issues that damage the economy and drain NHS resources.

The Government will tomorrow launch four healthcare missions – covering obesity, cancer, mental health and addiction – to quickly develop and deliver new treatments.