New research shows a quarter of people would be prepared to hand oral weight-loss medication to a friend or family member, rising to 41% among under-35s.

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One in five are willing to share an injectable device. The arrival of new treatment options in the last few years has generated great interest, with an estimated 2.5 million people in the UK now using weight management medications.

That level of adoption has, perhaps inevitably, changed how these medicines are perceived. Familiarity has not bred contempt, but there are clear risks of complacency around prescription medications that require appropriate clinical oversight.

Weight management medicines are increasingly being discussed on social media in the same way as lifestyle products, and both clinicians and regulators have an important role to play in ensuring public discussion keeps pace with the clinical responsibilities that accompany these medicines.

Increasingly, these medications are being associated........

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