Somerset GP Highlights Obesity Crisis as Mounjaro Prescriptions Begin
Only a handful of patients currently qualify for the NHS weight-loss drug
Last updated 12th Sep 2025
“One hundred and thirteen thousand people in Somerset are obese,” said Dr Ulrike Neumann, painting a stark picture of the county’s health challenge.
She has just issued her practice’s first prescription for Mounjaro under the new NHS rules. “I have just issued the first prescription in our practice for somebody who qualified for those very stringent, very high criteria for Mounjaro purely for weight loss” she said.
Dr Neumann has long prescribed Mounjaro for patients with diabetes. “For diabetes and weight management, we’ve been prescribing it for a good few years now with good success,” she said. However, she warned that new obesity-specific prescriptions come with strict eligibility rules “The number of people who actually fulfil those conditions are very small. In my own practice of about 13,000 patients, we’ve only identified three.”
The GP stressed the importance of support alongside medication. “Most people regained their weight because there hasn’t been a proper wraparound service to accompany the prescription of these new, albeit powerful drugs” she said.
She described obesity as a complex, lifelong condition. “Obesity changes the interaction between your gut hormones and the brain. Unfortunately, people with obesity battle against many things” she explained.
Dr Neumann also highlighted the importance of equity, “For patients with a different ethnic background, particularly Asian or Black Caribbean, then a slightly lower threshold applies because we know that those patients are even more at risk.”
The GP cautioned that medication alone isn’t enough. “Unless you build healthy habits, change your diets, increase your activity levels, the most probable outcome is you will increase your weight again” she said.
Looking to the future, Dr Neumann welcomed emerging treatments but stressed caution. “There is an oral drug, a pill, currently going through trials and so far they’ve looked very positive. But we have no idea what the price will be and what is affordable.”
She concluded with a message for patients seeking support. “The drugs are a great help in giving people a kickstart, giving people hope. Many patients do tell us it increases their confidence, makes them happier, and motivates them to embark on lifestyle changes.”