The UK government has announced plans to provide weight loss drugs to unemployed people struggling with obesity to help them get back to work. UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted the growing burden of obesity on the National Health Service (NHS), citing the staggering annual expenditure of £11 billion on obesity-related healthcare costs, which even exceeds those associated with smoking. BBC reported.
The initiative aims to leverage innovative weight loss treatments such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Lilly's Mounjaro, which have shown promising results in clinical trials. Health Minister Wes Streeting believes these drugs could be 'life-changing' for people struggling with obesity, allowing them to regain control of their health and return to work.
The minister said unhealthy eating affects people's lives and shortens their life expectancy. “Our widening waistbands are also placing a significant burden on our healthcare system, costing the NHS £11 billion a year – even more than smoking. And it's holding our economy back. Diseases caused by obesity are forcing people to take four extra sick days a year on average, while many others are out of work altogether,” Streeting wrote in an op-ed for the Telegraph.
However, individuals will still need to remain responsible for taking “healthy living” more seriously as “the NHS cannot be expected to always pick up the tab for unhealthy lifestyles”, he said.
His proposal to use weight-loss drugs comes on the same day the British government announced a £279 million investment from Lilly – the world's largest pharmaceutical company and the main rival to Wegovy and Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk in the obesity drug market.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also expressed support for weight-loss drugs during a BBC interview, highlighting their potential benefits for both the economy and public health. He stressed that these drugs can help people lose excess weight, allowing them to return to work and easing pressure on the National Health Service (NHS).
However, this approach has also raised important ethical questions. Dr. Dolly van Tulleken, who specializes in obesity policy, argued that eligible people should be able to receive the treatment, but warned that this must be accompanied by measures to facilitate healthy food choices. She said: 'It is incredibly important that people in Britain access healthcare based on their health needs and not on their potential economic value.'
She also questioned the feasibility of providing treatment to the millions who could qualify, as specialist weight management services currently treat only 49,000 people a year.