A drug that suppresses appetite has been described as a "gamechanger" in the fight against obesity after research showed it could cut body weight by up to 20%, Sky News reports.

The study into the effects of semaglutide on obesity by a University College London (UCL) team found that more than one third (35%) of people who took it lost more than one-fifth of their total body weight.

Researchers say it means that for the first time it is possible to achieve through drugs what was previously only possible through weight loss surgery, the report adds.

The negative health implications of obesity have been brought into even sharper focus by the COVID-19 crisis because of its effect on mortality rates.

Semaglutide works by hijacking the body's own appetite regulating system in the brain, leading to reduced hunger and calorie intake.

It is estimated that more than 10 per cent of adults in Malta are diabetic.

The last available figures show that in 2013, the Standardised Mortality Rate due to Diabetes in Malta was 13 per 100,000 for females, and 19 per 100,000 for males.

The average age of death due to Diabetes Mellitus was 72.2 years in males and 77.9 years in females, compared to the general population’s average age at death of 73.5 years and 79.3 years respectively (Directorate for Health Information and Research, 2013)

See full report here