A third of dieters in the UK’s jab capital are on Mounjaro or Ozempic — how does your city rank?

Based on recent research, 1.6 million Brits used weight loss injections last year — but one particular city takes the crown as the UK’s jab capital.

In a survey of 2,000 dieters from around the country, Glasgow came top of the list, with 30% of participants on the likes of Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro.

The city has historically faced significant health challenges, with 65% of men and 59% of women classed as overweight or obese in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, compared to the 32% figure for Scottish adults overall.

Meanwhile, Leeds — where 29% of dieters are using GLP-1 drugs — was previously labelled Britain’s ‘unhealthiest’ city based on factors like its 64% obesity rate and high proportion of sedentary lifestyles.

Despite consistently being ranked among England’s fittest regions, London was third in the Superdrug poll, also at 29%, followed by Manchester, where 28% of dieters are taking weight loss drugs.

Liverpool rounded out the top five with 25% on jabs, which holds water with a previous study that found more than three in five adults (61%) class themselves as overweight — among the highest proportions of anywhere else in the UK.

Across England, around 28% of adults are obese while a further 36% are overweight, and these findings suggest these injections are helping people take control of their health like never before.

Those using semaglutide medications reported eating an average of 1,123 calories per day, compared to 1,389 calories for those dieting without them.

They also lost significantly more weight, shedding an average of 22lbs versus 14lbs for traditional dieters.

But there’s a catch.

Despite the weight loss, three quarters (75%) of people on injections admit their diet quality has worsened, with 18% admitting they now eat more high-fat foods, 19% eating fewer fruit and vegetables, and 64% consuming less protein
Worryingly, one in five respondents said they didn’t even know how much protein they should be eating — meaning they could be missing out on a key nutrient for maintaining muscle and energy during weight loss.

‘Weight-loss injections can be an effective clinical tool to support people in creating a calorie deficit, but they are not a substitute for healthy habits,’ comments Superdrug’s pharmacy director, Craig Watt.

‘Eating less doesn’t automatically mean eating well.

For safe, sustainable results, weight loss needs to be treated holistically — alongside developing healthier eating patterns, prioritising nutrient-dense foods and maintaining regular movement.

A generational divide

Older adults (60+) were most disciplined, with just 27% saying they felt free to eat whatever they wanted on injections, compared to nearly half of those aged 18-29.

Younger users were more relaxed about their diets, with eight in 10 saying they eat whatever they fancy, just in smaller portions, while 42% of the 45+ category preferred to stick to a strict diet
Despite this, over-60s actually consumed the most calories on injections at 1,461 per day — 230 more than 18 to 29-year-olds
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.