Overweight Scots will be able to buy anti-obesity drugs over the counter for the first time later this year.

The pills are to be made available without a prescription in the next few months after trials last year were deemed a success by health officials.

European regulators granted a licence allowing Orlistat - sold under the name "alli", to rhyme with "ally" - to be sold in pharmacies across Europe for as little as £1.45 per daily treatment.

Manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline already sell the drug in the US, where it has become very popular as a slimming aid.

However, yesterday's landmark ruling is the first time that the more cautious European authorities have authorised a non-prescription weight loss drug.

Tablets will be available to adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 28 or more in all 27 EU countries. A BMI of 28 is classed as overweight while over 30 is obese.

Pharmacists are to receive training enabling them to estimate a patient's BMI, a figure obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.

James Hallatt, general manager of GSK Consumer Healthcare UK, said: "Receiving a licence for alli heralds a significant milestone which may contribute to relieving the growing burden of obesity in the UK.

"We are pleased that we can offer a new, clinically proven option for thousands of people who struggle to lose weight.

"Alli is not a magic pill but it can help people lose more weight than dieting alone.

"Alli has been available in the US for over a year and been tried by millions of people, helping sensible dieters achieve significant weight loss.

"We are very excited about the opportunity to create similar success in the UK."

Dr David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: "Research has shown that consumers are spending millions of pounds each year on fad diets, unproven miracle pills', and potentially unsafe weight-loss supplements.

"Medically proven licensed products give consumers the option of something which can genuinely support meaningful weight loss.

"For many, losing weight can become the catalyst to improvements in their overall health and self-esteem."

Health professionals hope that the new drug will help tackle Britain's growing obesity crisis and improve the health of the nation.

Studies in recent years have found Scotland to be among the worst places in the world for obesity, with Scottish children twice as likely to be obese as those south of the border. Scotland has a higher proportion of grossly overweight adults in than any other country except the United States.

Prescriptions for diet pills rose 700% between 1999 and 2008 in the UK as a whole, and the total number passed the one million mark for the first time in 2007.

Slimmers taking the new pill will be warned that it must be used only as part of a wider health regime, and is not a substitute for dieting and exercise. Orlistat works differently to some other anti-obesity drugs, preventing the body from absorbing fat through the intestine rather than tricking the brain into thinking the stomach is full, as is the case with the drug sibutramine.

Taken three times a day, with meals, Orlistat reduces fat intake by around a third and most users are able to lose around 10% of their body weight with the drug.

However, a large proportion of patients have reported putting excess weight back on once they have stopped using the pills, usually prescribed for a period of between six months and two years.

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