One in 10 people would buy weight-loss jabs on social media, poll suggests

Almost one in 10 people in Britain say they would buy weight-loss drugs from platforms such as Facebook and TikTok if they could not get a prescription from their doctor or pharmacy, a survey has found.

It comes as health chiefs sounded the alarm over the risks associated with buying jabs on social media as pharmacists predict a surge in demand for the medication in the new year.

The poll of 2,161 adults, conducted by Ipsos for the Press Association, found 26% would only use weight-loss jabs if they were prescribed by their doctor while 16% would only take them if obtained from a pharmacy either in-person or online.

However, 9% said they would buy them through social media platforms while 5% said they would buy them online, from a retailer who is not a registered manufacturer or pharmacy.

Some 4% told the polling company they would obtain the jabs through friends or family who were on the drugs.

Dr Claire Fuller, national medical director at NHS England, said people hoping to lose weight as a new year’s resolution “shouldn’t be tempted by quick fixes advertised online”.

“We are concerned about reports of unverified sellers and individuals promoting weight-loss injections or diet aids on social media, offering medicines without any clinical oversight, medical checks or follow-up care,” she said.

“The lack of supervision can put people’s health at serious risk, and there may also be concerns about the quality or authenticity of the products on offer.

“Weight-loss drugs are powerful medicines and can have serious side effects, which is why they must only be prescribed by an appropriately trained healthcare professional.”

Warnings

Dr Fuller’s comments follow a similar warning from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which urged those looking to shed weight to avoid buying weight-loss products, including GLP-1 medicines, from unregulated websites or on social media.

The regulator said that products sold illegally may be fake, contaminated, incorrectly dosed or contain products not listed on packaging which can cause dangerous side effects.

The Ipsos poll found the proportion of people who have personally taken weight-loss jabs, or know someone who has, has more than doubled from 13% to 28% in the last year.

Almost a third (30%) said they would take the drugs if they were provided by the NHS although only 11% said they would take them if they had to pay a private provider.

The NHS started the roll-out of Mounjaro – dubbed the King Kong of weight-loss drugs – last March.

Over three years the health service expects to give the jabs to 240,000 people.

Dr Fuller added: “There has been high demand for these new treatments.

“The NHS is continuing to explore ways to expand access and offers a wide range of safe and effective weight management support that doesn’t involve injections, helping hundreds of thousands of people lose weight safely and sustainably.

“Anyone accessing weight-loss treatments privately should only do so through an appropriately qualified and experienced healthcare professional, who can explain the benefits and risks.”

Demand

Meanwhile, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which represents around 6,000 independent community pharmacies, said it expects demand for weight-loss jabs to surge at the beginning of 2026.

The organisation also warned that “unscrupulous fake sellers” could seek to cash in on people’s new year resolutions.

A YouGov survey of 2,074 people found 6% of adults are likely to use weight-loss jabs in the new year.

Analysis by the NPA suggests this is the equivalent to 3.3 million people.

Some 9% of 25 to 49-year-olds told the survey they are likely to take weight-loss drugs in the coming year.

NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: “We expect a surge in the number of patients looking to start weight management treatments in the new year, as our analysis shows.

“However, there is a risk of criminals trying to take advantage of this, with unscrupulous fake sellers seeking to cash in.

“Not only are unregulated sellers breaking the law, they can cause serious damage to your health.

“With these scams becoming more sophisticated, it is really important that patients wanting to explore starting weight management treatment only go to regulated pharmacies, either online or in person on your high street.

“Community pharmacies can provide a patient with the care they need to achieve a sustainable weight loss, through wrap-around support and careful lifestyle changes, where a patient is eligible for treatment.”