Fewer than 800 Scots have received weight loss jabs on NHS, BBC finds

Dr Jane Sehgal is a GP and health coach based in Edinburgh who supports people who are paying privately for GLP-1s.

She said weight loss was a complex condition to manage responsibly.

Dr Seghal said it could be affected by a range of factors like sleep, stress, work-life balance and relationships – and that people needed to address the impact of their lifestyle and behaviour.

Sabriena Clayton, 48, had struggled with her weight her entire life, despite exercising regularly and eating well.

She started paying privately for GLP-1 medication two years ago after her BMA rose to over 30 – within the range to qualify for NHS use.

She has now lost three stone.

“At the start it was like a switch going off in my brain where I just didn’t think about food and could make really healthy choices,” she said.

“I just feel so much more at ease with myself. I’m literally not carrying around weight in my head or on my body.”

Scotland’s Public Health Minister Maree Todd said medicines were one of a range of effective treatments for obesity, alongside a balanced diet and exercise.

“Individual health boards are responsible for decisions on the implementation and availability of medicines, including obesity medicines,” she said.

“Health board decision-making is supported by the National Consensus Statement on the use of GLP-1s, which recommends that obesity medicines are introduced in a phased manner depending on a patient’s body mass index and any obesity-related conditions.”