Thousands of overweight people are to be prescribed low-calorie soups and shakes on the NHS in a radical bid to tackle Scotland’s chronic obesity problem.
Doctors believe that a calorie-restricted diet could prove as effective as ‘fat jabs’ such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro – which have revolutionised weight loss treatment in recent years – as well as being a lot cheaper.
In a nationwide rollout of a scheme called Total Diet Replacement, patients who have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and are deemed eligible, will get low calorie substitutes for their usual breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The replacement meals – which contain a maximum of 900 calories a day – will be delivered to patients for between three and five months.
After this initial period, normal food will be reintroduced, but with guidance given on healthy meals through online consultations and an app.
