Weight-loss drugs not the ‘holy grail’ for obesity crisis, says NHS England director

Weight-loss injections are not the “holy grail” of solving the obesity crisis, although they will play an important role in how the NHS treats the disease, the medical director of NHS England has said.Speaking at a conference hosted by the King’s Fund on Wednesday, Prof Stephen Powis said weight loss drugs were revolutionary and “a very welcome addition to the everyday treatment options we have available within the NHS to manage obesity”.Although the new treatments could be transformative, he said, “we cannot simply treat our way out of the obesity crisis – we know far wider action is needed on prevention across society, to help stem it at source and stop so many lives being cut short”.Powis expressed caution at weight-loss drugs being used to treat childhood obesity, saying he “would not want to over-medicalise children and young people”, although these treatments “might have a role in some instances”.Powis’s comments come after more than 200 doctors and…