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Following a report by our science correspondent Thomas Moore, Health Secretary Wes Streeting is asked about the drug Ozempic.

It is used to help people with weight loss – but Thomas has uncovered difficulty in people getting the treatment on the NHS.

Mr Streeting says he has a “nuanced” view on medical supplements being deployed for shedding kilos.

He says on the one hand the drugs “can be game changing” for tackling obesity, which can lead to conditions like heart disease and strokes, and also has a cost to the economy.

But Mr Streeting cautions “we don’t see these drugs as an excuse not to do the right thing in terms of our diet, nutrition, exercise, or to use them as cosmetic drugs for the Instagram perfect body”.

Cost to the NHS

Mr Streeting goes on to say the “social media world we live in” can see people at far greater risk “in terms of mental ill health, eating disorders, body dysmorphia”.

The health secretary says he also has concerns about the costs to the NHS if people go on treatment en masse.

“We have to pay some prescription charges, but that doesn’t mean that you should use it and abuse it,” he says.

“And I do think there is a responsibility to do the right thing too.”

He accepts people losing weight will save the NHS money – but says the use of products like Ozempic should be done alongside changes to diet and exercise.

“It’s not quite as clear-cut as taking some drugs and ‘hey presto, you’re ready for summer,'” he says.