Inside Health

Over 1.5million adults in the UK tried weight loss drugs in 2024-25. Many swear by them, but they have been associated with side effects including nausea and, in some cases, extremely painful gallstones. But what does the evidence actually tell us, and what is the wider impact on the way we view our bodies in society?
James Gallagher is joined by Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow Naveed Sattar, Dr Beverley O’Hara, Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition at Leeds Beckett University, and Dr Margaret McCartney, resident Inside Health GP. They discuss what the evidence tells us about the potential known side effects of these weight loss drugs, and the potential impact their use has on our view of obesity as a society. We also hear from Sarah Le Brocq, who has struggled with obesity all her adult life and has been on these drugs for the past 2-3 years about her experiences.
Margaret McCartney has no conflicts of interest to declare.
Beverley O’Hara has no conflicts of interest to declare. She has 2 roles with the Association for the Study of Obesity (voluntary academic positions).
Naveed Sattar has consulted for and/or received speaker honoraria from AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Carmot Therapeutics, Eli Lilly, Gan & Lee, GlaxoSmithKline, Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, Kailera, Mass Medicines, Menarini-Ricerche, Metsera, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, UCB Pharma, and Verdiva Bio; and received grant support paid to his University from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, and Roche.
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Hannah Fisher
Researcher: Tom Hunt
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Content Editor: Ilan Goodman

Dentistry is high on the public and political agenda. There have been dozens of headlines about access to NHS dentistry, with some people having to travel huge distances to find a dentist, or being put onto long waiting lists to get an NHS appointment.
In this episode of Inside Health, James Gallagher is joined by chairman of the British Dental Association Eddie Crouch, the Oral Health Foundation's Dr Rachael England, and consultant oral surgeon Tom Thayer. Together, they drill into the issues surrounding NHS dentistry. Along the way, they discuss possible solutions, whether contract reforms will help, and the potential future of dentistry in the UK.
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Thomas Hunt
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Content editor: Ilan Goodman

Most of us have Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) hiding in our bodies.
You may know it as the cause of glandular fever or “kissing disease”.
But more research is suggesting that it can turn our immune systems against us to cause autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis or lupus.

So, what is the virus doing in our bodies - and can we do anything about it?
James is joined by Dr Claire Shannon-Lowe, a virologist at the University of Birmingham, and Dr Patrick Kearns from the University of Edinburgh, a neurologist and epidemiologist.
And we delve into the world of echolocation.
Bats hunt at night by making pulses of sounds and listening to the echoes so they can build a picture of the world around them in total darkness - and it's a technique some people with visual impairment use to explore the world.
A team at the University of East Anglia has been testing how well humans can pick up these skills, so James pays a visit to have a go...
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producers: Gerry Holt, Tom Bonnett & Thomas Hunt
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Content editor: Ilan Goodman

This week we’re looking at government plans to start sequencing the DNA of every newborn baby in England within the next decade.
Each newborn would undergo whole genome sequencing to assess their risk of hundreds of diseases, under NHS plans.
It promises a revolution in spotting disease early - but are there also risks?
And use of nicotine pouches is rising, especially among young men.
But these little sachets that fit under the top lip aren’t yet regulated – so what do we know about the potential harms?
Finally, as the cold weather continues, James gets a lesson in walking like a penguin to see if it helps avoid trips, slips and falls…

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producers: Tom Bonnett, Alice-Lipscombe-Southwell and Thomas Hunt
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Content editor: Ilan Goodman

James Gallagher stands by four lanes of traffic and inhales exhaust fumes all to see if he can see air pollution in his body. He looks at an intriguing finding that an mRNA vaccine might benefit people being treated with immunotherapy for some cancers and could we be on the cusp of a holy grail in dentistry? A breakthrough could mean we will soon be able to replace the enamel on our teeth.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Researcher: Thom Hunt
Editor: Ilan Goodman