A new drug to combat obesity could see you lose up to two stone in just six months.
Studies conducted in Ireland found that the drug could result in an 11% decrease in body weight over a six month period.
The drug Cagrilintide increases the sense of 'satiety', making people feel less hungry and therefore reducing their food intake.
Cagrilintide has been trialled internationally in a total of ten countries, including Ireland.
The trials took place over six and a half months in 2019 and saw 706 people take part.
According to the Lancet, the treatment, which was injected into the patients once a week, achieved up to an 11% reduction in body weight.
Of those who participated in the trial, half one group were given a placebo, while another five groups were given different strength doses of the new drug.
The study found that people given a higher dose of Cagrilintide lost a higher percentage of their body weight.
It said the results "support the further investigation of the higher doses of Cagrilintide in future phase three trials."
However, some participants saw side effects which included nausea, constipation and diarrhoea.
Obesity Specialist at St Vincent's University Hospital, Professor Carel le Roux, said: "Cagrilintide is a new medication which works by inducing fullness after a meal.
"Researchers at St Vincent's Hospital worked with international colleagues to assess effects on bodyweight, safety and tolerability in patients with obesity.
"Those receiving the highest doses of the medication lost 10.8pc of their weight, which is close to two stone for most people.
"A third of patients receiving it reported mild nausea, but this was usually moderate."
The drug is a huge step in the treatment of obesity in Ireland which affects over a million Irish people.
Studies have proven that obesity increases the risk of cancer and heart attacks and reduces quality of life.
Obesity also increases the likelihood of type 2 diabetes which affects over 200,000 people in Ireland.
