In brief: New survey data shows nearly half of Jersey women aged 30 to 59 would consider taking weight-loss medicines, with more than a quarter saying they have already tried them. Local GPs report that requests for GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro now arise most days, while a decision on public funding for the medicines in Jersey remains on hold with no timetable in sight.
The Numbers Behind the Needle
A survey of 2,532 people across Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, conducted by Island Global Research, has laid bare just how rapidly appetite-suppressing injectable medicines have moved from niche medical treatment to mainstream conversation. Overall, 14% of respondents said they had used medicines or injections for weight loss, a figure that climbed to more than a quarter among women aged 30 to 59. Reported use was twice as high among women as men, at 18% compared with 9%. Researchers noted that results were broadly similar across all three islands.
The survey also found that 52% of women aged 16 to 29 were unhappy with their weight and body image, and three-quarters of all respondents expressed concern about how weight-loss medicines are represented in the media and online. Whether those figures reflect a genuine health crisis or a masterclass in social media influence is, perhaps, a question worth sitting with.
GPs Sound the Alarm on Who Is Actually Getting These Drugs
Dr Guillaume Besson, speaking on behalf of the Primary Care Body, which represents Jersey GPs, told the Jersey Evening Post that demand has risen sharply. “Two years ago a patient asking about Wegovy or Mounjaro was unusual, now it comes up most days in most practices,” he said.
His concern is not with the medicines themselves but with who is receiving them and through what route. “The requests that worry us are from people who don’t need to lose weight: somebody with a normal BMI who wants to drop half a stone before a wedding or, more seriously, someone who has struggled with eating for years and sees this as a way of not eating at all,” he said. “These drugs are not for that, and a prescriber who hands them out in that situation is doing more harm than good.”
A significant portion of prescribing is happening outside the GP surgery entirely. Dr Besson acknowledged that much of it flows through private channels, including UK online pharmacies, and that nobody collects the figures centrally. “We can’t give you Jersey numbers, unfortunately,” he said. Government figures do show, however, that more than 8,600 prescriptions for GLP-1 medicines were dispensed in Jersey in 2025, including more than 6,000 items of semaglutide and 2,600 of tirzepatide.
Dr Besson urged anyone considering the drugs to speak to their own GP first, even if they intend to pay privately. He also warned against purchasing through social media platforms, salons or gyms, and advised choosing a pharmacy registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. “Be suspicious of anywhere that sends you the pen after a form and nothing else, and don’t lie about your weight. People do, and it’s dangerous,” he said. The JEP had previously reported, in an investigation published in August last year, how easily weight-loss drugs could be ordered online without proof of BMI, access to medical records, or any conversation with a clinician.
Advocates Call for Care Beyond the Prescription
Obesity advocate Sarah Le Brocq, who grew up in Jersey and now advises nationally on obesity policy, said the survey findings reflected how widely the treatments are being discussed, but warned against losing sight of their medical purpose. “We need to be careful that the right people are taking these medications because what we’re seeing is people are using these drugs for body image or aesthetic purposes,” she said. She called on Jersey to lead the way in ensuring people receive access to proper care, not just access to the medication.
Amy Dingle, deputy chief executive of Jersey Eating Disorders Support, raised a different but equally serious concern. She warned that for someone already vulnerable to an eating disorder, “repeated messaging around weight loss can potentially be very triggering.” She called for meaningful screening before prescribing, ongoing monitoring, and a clear referral pathway if concerning eating behaviours emerge. “There is also a danger of assuming that weight loss is automatically a positive outcome,” she said. “For someone with an eating disorder, losing weight may actually be a sign that their illness is becoming more severe.”
Public Funding Decision Remains in Limbo
While all of this plays out in GP surgeries and online pharmacies, the question of whether Jersey will publicly fund weight-loss drugs for obesity remains unanswered. The Pharmaceutical Benefit Advisory Committee deferred a decision that was originally expected by the end of last year, citing ongoing work to develop weight management services. No timetable for completing that work has been provided. For context, the UK first made injectable obesity medicines available on the NHS more than three years ago. Wegovy is currently available only privately in Jersey, while Mounjaro is funded solely for eligible patients with type 2 diabetes, not for weight management.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
