NEW research has revealed interesting insights of Gloucestershire residents’ interest in weight loss medication. 

Simple Online Pharmacy conducted an investigation to determine which UK areas are most likely to show interest in newly available weight loss medications.

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.

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 - which were then ranked into an overall table of 82. 

Of which, Gloucester ranked joint 30, with 890 average monthly searches (AMS) per 100,000 residents and Cheltenham ranked 26 with 950 AMS. These were the only Gloucestershire areas that made it to the overall table.

Addy Mohammed, CEO of Simple Online Pharmacy, said: “The recent increase in weight loss searchers has undoubtedly led to a huge increase in interest for weight loss medications over the past year, with people moving to see if they are eligible for weight loss medications available on the NHS.”

The area found to be the most interested in weight loss medications was Bolton, with an AMS of 2,159, a stark contrast to Oxford who made the foot of the list with only 270. 

Interest in weight loss medications has soared globally, driven by the recent surge in demand for drugs like Ozempic. The World Health Organization has highlighted this and noted that the interest in these drugs has outpaced supply. 

This trend has been further amplified by the recent Ozempic phenomenon, where celebrities and social media influencers have popularised the drug. 

Many now have concerns for unscrupulous traders dealing counterfeit medications, and the impact celebrities will have on young people. 

If you are looking to lose weight, the NHS has free practical advice on their website which includes diet and exercise plans.