Obesity crisis: ‘Weight loss service through pharmacies would yield better outcomes’

Rachna Chhatralia, superintendent pharmacist at Day Lewis, has suggested that obesity should be a key focus area of the upcoming 10-year health plan.

She advocated for a weight loss service to be commissioned through community pharmacies to address this growing public health issue effectively.

“Obesity is a big problem in the UK, and it has progressively worsened as a result of COVID, with people being at home, unable to access gyms, and developing
unhealthy eating habits,” Rachna told Pharmacy Business.

Rachna, the winner of the Pharmacy Business’ Aspiring Pharmacy Leader of the Year, emphasised the urgent need to tackle obesity as it can lead to other long-term
conditions in the long run and cost the NHS a lot of money.

“If you don’t try and tackle the obesity rate, you’re then looking at treatment for other comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues,
including heart attack and strokes. It just spirals out of control,” she explained.