NICE publishes guidance for obesity jabs: “people need additional help”

People who are coming off weight management injections should be offered professional help – including getting fit – to ensure they do not regain their excess weight following treatment.

New guidance from NICE, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – which informs the work of the National Health Service – warns that weight management is a long-term journey, not a “short-term fix”.

Updating its quality standard for the use of obesity jabs, NICE sets out new expectations for healthcare providers. These include offering ongoing advice and tailored action plans – covering everything from regular check-ins and practical strategies to support with sustainable routines, social support and accessing community help. Published on 5 August, the new advice outlines how people using weight management injections – such as liraglutide (Saxenda), semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) – need to build long-term behavioural habits.

“Research shows that many people regain weight after stopping treatment if they don’t get the right help,” the new guidance states.“This can negatively affect both their physical and mental health. Healthcare teams should monitor people for at least a year after they complete treatment and offer extra support if needed. This could include practical advice from programmes like NHS Better Health on changing daily habits or making adjustments at home or work to avoid slipping back.”

Among the measures recommended by NICE is for patients to work alongside professionals to produce an action plan that they can easily put into practice if they are not maintaining changes and other local peer support groups – such as keep fit or walking groups.

The guidance comes as new weight loss drugs are now being made available to those with the greatest need on the NHS.