Scotland, especially Glasgow has chronic levels of obesity

There is a lot of chatter in the media at the moment about the weight loss medication Acomplia which has just been given full of approval from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence in the United Kingdom following extensive testing. This follows on from the approval for the drug given two years ago by the European Union medical agency the EMEA allowing its sale all over Europe.

Incidentally however the drug is not approved for sale in America which has the largest problem of overweight and obese adults in the world. It has also been rejected by the Scottish National Health Service, [which operates independently from the NHS in England and Wales] after the Scottish Medicines Consortium decided it did not meet strict guidelines which they have in force.

It is strange that the two countries which have the largest problems with overweight and obese people in the Americas and in Europe respectively both have denied their citizens the Acomplia weight loss medication. In America is estimated that 2/3 of adults are medically overweight with a BMI of 25+ and 1/3 of its citizens are clinically obese with the BMI of 30+. Scotland, especially in Glasgow has chronic levels of obesity especially in children who are now destined to grow up suffering from heart disease and diabetes. If there were two countries in the world that really needed help with weight loss medication it is America and Scotland and yet they are both being denied Acomplia.

Dr Haslam who is the clinical director of the lobbying group The National Obesity Forum said that he wished that the Scottish Medicines Consortium would reconsider their decision and allow Acomplia to be made available on the National Health Service as it would be of great benefit for some individuals especially those for whom Reductil and Xenical was not effective.

Dr Haslam noted that the National Institute of Clinical Excellence had conducted an extremely “robust and detailed analysis” of Acomplia and had taken into account all side effects, but had concluded that the benefits clearly outweighed any disadvantages. He also noted that the Acomplia weight loss medication had also been shown to help to reduce the incidence of cholesterol, diabetes and even heart disease.