Inside Health

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Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Series that demystifies health issues, bringing clarity to conflicting advice.

Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.

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Inside Health: Could weight-loss drugs treat addiction?

Could weight-loss drugs treat addiction?

BBC Radio 4 - Inside Health, Could weight-loss drugs treat addiction?

Could weight-loss drugs also have potential to tackle serious addiction?

James Gallagher asks whether new weight-loss drugs have potential to tackle serious addiction.

Barely a day goes by without more headlines around new weight-loss drugs, from the issue of global shortages, to investigations into suicide risk, and debate over just how long people will need to be on them. But in this episode of Inside Health we’re going to look at something slightly different - and perhaps unexpected. 


James Gallagher meets lifelong dieter Cheri who has lost just over three stone on semaglutide but she’s also noticed other effects from her weekly injection; a calmer mind and a complete lack of desire for her much-loved vapes. She wants to know what’s going on – so we seek out some scientists to help us get to the bottom of it. From the evidence gathered so far, are there hints that these drugs could offer potential to treat serious addiction?


And have you ever heard of “bed rotting”? 


It doesn’t sound particularly enticing - but James gives it a go in the name of science and we explain all in the programme with the help of two experts.

What health questions do you want us to answer? Email the team at insidehealth@bbc.co.uk

Declared interests:
Professor Giles Yeo: "I have a PhD student part-funded by Novo Nordisk. I consult for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly."
Dr Tony Goldstone: "I have previously been a member of Data Safety Monitoring Board for clinical trials of Liraglutide for obesity by Novo Nordisk, and have received an honorarium as a conference speaker from Novo Nordisk."

Presenter: James Gallagher 
Producer: Gerry Holt 
Editor: Erika Wright 
Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris 
Studio Producer: Duncan Hannant
(Photo: Cheri Ferguson with her Ozempic pen. Credit Cheri Ferguson)

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