Wegovy, Mounjaro, Ozempic: Fat jabs and diet signal the end for beer bellies and boozing

The famous Aussie beer belly may be facing extinction by 2050 as new age weight loss drugs and a downturn in alcohol consumption slowly whittle away our waistlines.

Many Australian men have long-suffered from borderline obesity because of too much grog and poor dietary habits but a UK health expert says sizeable stomachs are set to become a thing of the past.

Approximately 71–75 per cent of Australian men are overweight or living with obesity in Australia according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Data released by the AIHW indicates that three in four adult men fall into this category, with 39 per cent classified as overweight but not obese.

The prevalence of overweight/obesity rises with age, particularly in regional and disadvantaged areas.

Weight-loss injections like Wegovy, Mounjaro and Ozempic have become so popular that these figures are predicted to slim right down as waistlines get thinner and men’s lifestyles get healthier.

At least half a million Australians are taking weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro every month, with popularity continuing to increase despite a shortage of the drugs.

In the UK, just over 200,000 people receive NHS funding for fat jabs, with a further two million paying for them privately — numbers which are expected to soar.

“Obesity and being overweight could be almost a thing of the past in the West by 2050,” Dr Laurie Simons, a futurologist and relationship expert with dating app Wisp told The Sun.

“There will always be some people resistant to change, but it will be a very small proportion — possibly one per cent of the male population in the UK who are currently obese.”

The forecast comes despite scientists at the medical journal The Lancet warning that average obesity rates around the world will skyrocket by 2050.

While weight-loss medications are often hailed as wonder drugs for improving the lives of people battling obesity, dietitians are also increasingly concerned about the lack of research into long-term nutritional health impacts, AAP reports.

Nutrition and dietetics professor Clare Collins believes there is a “blind spot” in current research on the side-effects to these medications, and says nutritional intake is often overlooked in trials.

Little is known about whether people using these drugs are receiving adequate nutrition, she warns.

“We’re trying to ring a bell really loudly,” Professor Collins told AAP.

“These drugs are very expensive, they’re very powerful and they work. But the nutritional status is not on the radar and (it’s) putting people at long-term risk of nutrient deficiencies and or malnutrition.”

While people using weight-loss medications may appear healthier due to reduced body weight, inadequate nutrition can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic complications, inflammation and long-term chronic conditions, including some cancers.

There have also been reports of thiamine (vitamin B) deficiencies and protein malnutrition, which, if not addressed, can progress to a permanent neurological condition, Prof Collins warned.

“These medications offer enormous potential, but to truly support long-term health, we need to understand not just how much weight people lose, but how well they are nourished,” she said.