NHS spends £1billion a year on obesity drugs
MORE than £1 billion is spent every year by the NHS on drugs to combat conditions brought on by obesity, it is claimed.
Obesity medication costs the NHS over £1bn a year
The cost of treatment for diabetes, weight loss drugs and indigestion remedies has risen to £1.027 billion - an increase of 65 percent in 10 years.
The NHS Digital figures, reported in The Daily Telegraph, show 52 million prescriptions were issued for diabetes last year, which is an increase of 81 percent over the last decade.
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There are around four million people in the UK with Type 2 diabetes - the most common kind - which is linked to increasing levels of obesity, unhealthy diets and a lack of exercise.
Dan Howarth, the head of care at Diabetes UK, told the newspaper: "The last 10 years have seen an explosion in the number of people being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes - a trend that shows no sign of slowing down."