MORE than 1,100 anti-obesity drug prescriptions were handed out to people in Warrington last year, figures show.

This was an increase from 2021 when 998 orlistat prescriptions were prescribed in the area, according to data from the NHS OpenPrescribing service.

It comes as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently approved the use of another weight loss drug, semaglutide, by NHS England.

Currently, orlistat is the primary weight loss drug prescribed by the NHS and has been approved for use since 2010.

Orlistat, commonly sold under the brand name Xenical, is available on prescription from doctors or can be bought at a pharmacy where it must be taken under the supervision of a pharmacist.

The tablet works by preventing around a third of fat from food from being absorbed into the body.

Data from the NHS OpenPrescribing service shows 1,120 prescriptions for orlistat were handed out by GPs in the former NHS Warrington CCG area throughout 2022 at a total cost of £31,200 to the NHS.

Over the past five years, there were 5,090 prescriptions for orlistat in Warrington – costing the health service around £129,570.

The Obesity Health Alliance, which welcomed the approval of semaglutide, said drugs alone will not be the answer to the UK’s extremely high levels of excess weight.

“We need to take action to ensure that as few people as possible reach the stage of needing pharmaceutical or surgical interventions,” it said.

The OHA added the root cause of obesity must be tackled, including the level of unhealthy food and drink that is marketed and promoted.

Across England, about 360,000 prescriptions for orlistat were given by GPs in 2022. It was an increase on the previous three years, but down from 2018’s figure of 370,000.

Overall, the weight loss drug prescriptions cost the health service £9.8 million last year.