Only half of UK adults would tell their GP if they were prescribed weight-loss medication elsewhere, new research shows

New polling finds stigma may be putting people off seeking essential diet and lifestyle support that should go alongside treatment

• Just 52% would tell their GP if another provider prescribed them weight-loss medication.
• One in eight (12%) wouldn't tell anyone at all.
• Weight-loss medication was the only weight loss method in the survey that more people would feel uncomfortable (46%) than comfortable (39%) telling friends and family about.
• Slimming World, who commissioned the survey, warns that stigma around weight-loss medication could be preventing people from accessing vital health and lifestyle support.

Stigma may be stopping people using weight-loss medication from telling the professionals best placed to help them eat well and build healthy lifestyles, according to new research for Slimming World.

The YouGov survey of 2,130 UK adults conducted online found that only half (52%) would tell their GP if they were prescribed weight loss medication elsewhere. Just one in four would tell a dietitian, nutritionist or coach (24%), and one in eight would tell a weight-loss group (12%): the same proportion who would tell no one at all (12%).

Of all the weight loss methods surveyed (including lifestyle changes, weight-loss groups, dietitians and apps), medication was the only method where more people would feel uncomfortable (46%) than comfortable (39%) telling friends or family. When asked why they might feel uncomfortable telling people, the top reasons were that it's personal, unwanted comments or advice, and fear of judgement. These worries were even more common among people who have used weight-loss medication: four in 10 cited unwanted comments or advice (40%) and fear of judgement (39%).

This is especially important at a time when comprehensive lifestyle support is missing from the majority of GLP-1 prescriptions. While guidance from NICE says GLP-1s should be used alongside effective behavioural change support, last week the Health and Social Care Committee found that dietary and exercise support isn’t widely available across the country.

Slimming World’s own survey of 380 members using weight-loss medication found that fewer than half of those prescribed medication through the NHS, and around two-thirds of those prescribed privately, received any support from their prescriber; where they did, it rarely went beyond general advice on healthy eating or portion sizes.

And it seems many people would not look for it themselves; according to the YouGov survey, if their provider didn’t offer support, more than one in 10 (13%) would assume they didn’t need it, while 15% say fear of judgement would stop or delay them seeking it.

Carolyn Pallister, Registered Dietitian and Head of Nutrition, Research & Health for Slimming World, said: "People using obesity management medications need lifestyle support as much as anyone, and often even more so: to meet nutritional needs while eating less, to build manageable physical activity into their day and to develop habits and strategies that help them keep the weight off and maintain a healthy life in the long-term. It's deeply concerning that people taking this step to improve their health feel they have to keep it to themselves, and that needs to change.

“At Slimming World, we’ve heard from members who decided to use our services along with their medication because the medication on its own didn’t show them how to eat well on smaller portions, get more active or change habits built up over years. That’s why we’ve created a whole package of guidance and training for our Consultants who run our groups. We’ve equipped them with the knowledge to support members using these medications effectively and provide the encouragement, accountability and practical strategies that can help them eat more nutritiously, lose weight healthily and keep the weight off long after the prescription ends. We want to make sure all our members receive our non-judgmental behaviour change support and feel welcome, whatever route they’ve taken to improve their health.”

Slimming World is calling for behavioural lifestyle support to be offered as standard with every weight-loss medication prescription, whether prescribed through the NHS or a private provider. Its members using weight loss medications alongside Slimming World’s programme show the success that a combination of weight-loss medication and comprehensive lifestyle support can add; the most common reason (45%) members using medication gave for joining Slimming World was help to eat more healthily, and almost all (96%) Slimming World members using medication surveyed said they’d learnt how to make healthier food choices since joining.

The public appears to agree: 71% of the YouGov survey respondents would expect someone prescribed weight-loss medication to receive regular lifestyle support throughout treatment.

Slimming World will make the case to parliamentarians at its Beyond the Jab event in Westminster on 16 November.

Stevie delayed disclosing her Mounjaro use to her GP due to stigma

Stevie Turner, 37, from Lancashire, has lost 5st 3.5lbs over three years with Slimming World. She used Mounjaro alongside the plan for 4 months to help her through a plateau.

Stevie said: "When I started Mounjaro in 2024, the only person I told was my husband. Back then, it felt like something only the Kardashians were doing, and I was worried people would think I was cheating.

“I got my prescription through a private nurse, partly so I wouldn’t have to tick the box to share it with my GP. I wanted to keep it a ‘secret,’ and I carried shame over sourcing it. I’d heard so many stories of people being judged by their doctors, or going to A&E with a symptom and being told, ‘it’s just the Mounjaro, stop taking it’ – as if it was that simple. When I had an issue around my eyesight for an unrelated reason, I delayed telling my GP about my medication over fears they may link it primarily to my Mounjaro rather than explore other causes.

“In my personal life people had approached me with comments like, ‘Oh, how much has that cost you then?’, talking about my body and almost minimising my efforts by placing the full result down to Mounjaro. That wasn’t the case at all, and it upset me. It also reinforced the stigma around the medication for me, which prevented me from telling people and even led to me resorting to lying at times when asked if I was using it.

“Keeping the jab quiet meant that I was on my own when it came to losing weight healthily. The nurse did a few check-ins, but it wasn’t clinical and was mainly focused on dosage and cost. She didn’t talk to me about food, nutrition or exercise, and it felt very transactional. I was lucky I already had my Slimming World group, because Mounjaro definitely wasn’t the magic fix some people make it out to be. Without a food and exercise plan, plus the emotional support from my group and the long-term support offered, I definitely wouldn’t have kept the weight off after moving away from Mounjaro and I wouldn’t have felt as healthy as I do now.

“Everyone should get that support from day one, instead of having to go looking for it.”