Country comparison shows The Swiss have the most fat injections
According to a study by the University of Zurich, Switzerland is the country with the highest per capita use of fat-removal injections. One reason for this could be that the costs are covered by health insurance.
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- In Switzerland, the sale of slimming injections is significantly higher than in the USA, Germany and Canada.
- This is the result of a new study, as reported by Tamedia.
- The head of the study believes that this could be partly due to the fact that health insurance companies cover the costs.
Although fat-away injections were only approved later in this country and access to them is not quite as easy, Switzerland is still far ahead in the sale of slimming products, as a comparison with the USA, Germany and Canada shows. These results come from a research team led by Kerstin Noëlle Vokinger from the University of Zurich and were published in "JAMA Internal Medicine".
In an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, Vokinger explains why Switzerland could be the leader in sales of fat-away injections: "In contrast to the other three countries, basic insurance in Switzerland covers the treatment costs under certain conditions."
In addition, the lower prices for slimming products in Switzerland could be another factor, as the Tages-Anzeiger writes. The daily newspaper goes on to quote the head of the study: "The costs for patients are certainly the decisive factor."
Switzerland as a role model for handling weight loss injections
In Switzerland, people pay around CHF 2,000 per person per year for Saxenda. In the USA, the annual treatment costs for Wegovy and Saxenda would amount to over 12,000 francs.
Because Wegovy has not been available to Swiss people for so long, the focus of the country comparison is on the slimming product Saxenda. However, the study took into account sales of both Saxenda and Wegovy. Both drugs are currently regarded as the most effective weight loss injections. Ozempic was not included.
For Vokinger, Switzerland is a role model in the handling of fat-away injections, as the professor explains to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper: "Compared to other countries, our system is better at ensuring that these drugs are only prescribed if they are medically indicated."
On the one hand, patients who earn less are also able to receive treatment thanks to the health insurance companies covering the costs. And on the other hand, there would be fewer lifestyle applications due to strict guidelines - this would save costs.
There are significantly fewer patients suffering from overweight and obesity in Switzerland than in the other countries considered, especially in comparison to the USA.
