ONE in 10 people in Britain say they would buy weight-loss drugs from social media or unregistered online sellers if they could not get a prescription, a survey has found.

The Ipsos poll of 2,161 adults for the Press Association found 26 per cent would only use the jabs if prescribed by a doctor, while 16 per cent would only obtain them from a pharmacy. 

However, 10 per cent said they would buy them via platforms such as Facebook or TikTok, and 4 per cent through friends or family.

NHS England national medical director Dr Claire Fuller warned people “shouldn’t be tempted by quick fixes advertised online.

“The lack of supervision can put people’s health at serious risk,” she said, adding that weight-loss drugs “must only be prescribed by an appropriately trained healthcare professional.”

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency warned that illegally sold products may be fake, contaminated or incorrectly dosed.

The poll found the proportion of people who have taken weight-loss jabs, or know someone who has, has risen from 13 per cent to 28 per cent in a year.

The National Pharmacy Association warned demand could surge in 2026, with “unscrupulous fake sellers” seeking to cash in.