Doctor warns weight loss jabs will trigger ‘tsunami of osteoporosis’ as new evidence reveals it’s not just fat that people are losing

A doctor has warned that weight loss jabs may lead to a ‘tsunami of osteoporosis’ which could ‘bankrupt’ the National Health Service (NHS).

There are now millions of people taking weight loss jabs Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic, which studies have shown can help people lose up to 20 per cent of their weight.

However, earlier this summer a study found 40 per cent of this lost weight is vital muscle and bone mass. 

Worryingly, this loss of bone mass can result in osteoporosis—a condition that sees weakened bones that are more fragile and likely to break.

According to the NHS, the most common injuries in people with the condition are a broken wrist, hip fracture, and broken spinal bones.

In a recent interview with GB News, Dr Paul Mason, a weight loss expert, said an increase in these injuries could put immense financial pressures on the NHS.

‘We don’t want to bankrupt the health system because of this tsunami of osteoporosis that is very well coming our way,’ he said.

In response to growing concern, he called for ‘a degree of regulation’ to address the ‘catastrophic costs’ these injuries may have for the health system in the future.

He even went so far as to say, ‘I think these drugs will eventually be removed from the market’.

It is estimated there are already 70,000 cases of hip fractures every year in the UK, which cost the NHS around £2 billion.

Traditionally this is a major cause of death and disability among older people, but there are fears it could now affect the growing number of young people on the jabs. 

When the new research came to light, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) raised their concerns about the brittle-bone side effect.

‘This is an emerging field of research and people need to be warned that using these drugs increases the risk of losing bone and muscle as well as fat,’ Julia Thomson a specialist nurse with the ROS, told the Sunday Express.

‘Bone and muscle health is key to preventing the risk of falling and fractures which can lead to premature death or else have a devastating effect on people’s ability to live independently.’

She said it is ‘essential’ that fat jabs are prescribed appropriately after discussion with a doctor, as some people are more prone to the condition.

For example, women are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, especially after menopause when a decline in oestrogen levels further accelerates bone loss. 

Professor Carl Heneghan, director of Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, said: ‘Any drug that reduces muscle mass and bone density is a bad idea for people who are frail and those vulnerable to fractures with osteoporosis.

‘The evidence is clear—these drugs carry significant risks and the longer a patient stays on them, the greater the risk.’

He said the focus should be on preventing obesity, rather than ‘medicating large swathes of the population as a quick fix to the obesity pandemic’.

In June, GPs in the UK were allowed to prescribe weight-loss drugs for the first time in a bid to tackle the nation’s obesity crisis. 

An estimated 1.5 million people are now taking the jabs through the NHS or private clinics.

But some experts have raised concerns over potential risks. Recent data revealed that more than 100 deaths in Britain have been linked to slimming injections so far.

At least ten patients are confirmed to have died from pancreatitis – a life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas—after taking the jabs.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has since launched an investigation into whether people with certain genes may be more vulnerable to the condition.

However, other studies have found weight loss jabs like Ozempic have promising health benefits, such as lowering the risk of a heart attack and stroke.