Interest in weight loss medications has soared globally over the past couple of years. This has been emphasised by the recent Ozempic trend, in which many celebrities and social media influences have promoted use of the drug, creating a huge surge in interest as Ozempic was found to be the most searched-for weight loss drug in every area across the UK.  

Simple Online Pharmacy decided to investigate which UK areas would most likely be interested in newly available weight loss medication.  

Using Google Keyword Planner, they looked at the average number of monthly searches for weight loss medication-related terms, such as ‘weight loss medication cost’ and ‘weight loss drugs’, alongside names of various weight loss medications, such as ‘Wegovy’, ‘Mounjaro’ and ‘Saxenda’.

The total number of searches were compared to local population sizes in UK towns and cities to find the areas most interested in the use of weight loss medications.

The area found to be the most interested in weight loss medications was Bolton, with 2,159 monthly searches per 100,000 people for weight loss drugs and related terms. Overall, Bolton had a monthly search volume of 3,051. 

With search interest for Mounjaro increasing by 2,384% in the past 4 years, now averaging 59,000 searches per month, the growing demand for weight loss solutions across the UK is clear. With this in mind, Zava Online Doctor, one of the UK’s leading weight loss treatment providers, has conducted new research, analysing prescription data from over 1,300 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) across the country, to reveal the UK locations with the highest rates of obesity and the largest uptake of weight loss injections.

The research has identified Kingston upon Hull as the UK’s weight loss capital, with 70.5% of adults classified as overweight or obese and 46,709 prescriptions for weight loss injections over the past four years (equivalent to 17.37% of the population).

Nottingham and Darlington follow closely behind. In Nottingham, 31,583 prescriptions were issued, with 63.9% of adults classified as overweight or obese, while Darlington ranked third, with 22,321 prescriptions and an even higher rate of 71.8% of adults struggling with weight.

Brighton stands out as a region with relatively low obesity levels. Despite having one of the lowest obesity rates in the UK (15.1%), the city still ranks fifth in weight loss injection prescriptions, with over 12,500 issued.

The top 10 areas with the most prescriptions for weight loss injections against the respective obesity rate are represented in the infographics below:

Dr Crystal Wyllie, a health expert at ZAVA Online Doctor, commented:

“Patients are more aware of the benefits of weight-loss injections nowadays.  Accurate information can help patients understand and subsequently aid confidence in using them to manage their weight.

Online pharmacies have made these weight-loss injections more accessible than ever before, allowing patients to get the help they need without having to visit a doctor in person, and empowering patients to take proactive steps in looking after their health.”