Weight loss injections could be given to unemployed people living with obesity to help them get back into work and reduce pressure on the NHS, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, agreed that the jabs would be “very helpful” to people who need to lose weight and stated that they could also be “very important” for the NHS. Injections are already prescribed on the NHS for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Streeting suggested that the medicines could be “life changing” for individuals.
The proposed plan aims to tackle significant burdens on the health service and the economy caused by widening waistbands. Illnesses relating to obesity cost the NHS £11 billion a year, according to Streeting. The weight-loss injections could help reduce the number of sick days and benefit the economy too. However, individuals are still expected to take “healthy living more seriously” and remain responsible for it, as the NHS cannot always pick up the tab for unhealthy lifestyles.
The UK Government announced a £279 million investment from Lilly, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, at an international investment summit hosted by Sir Keir Starmer. The plans include real-world trials of the injections’ impact on worklessness, with nearly 250,000 people expected to receive them over the next three years. A five-year study will examine whether being put on the drug Mounjaro will reduce worklessness and the impact on NHS service use. The roll-out of the drug across England is expected to be staggered due to anticipated high levels of demand.
Weight loss medicines are already prescribed by the NHS, and the weight-loss injections come in the form of an injection and mimic the hormone GLP-1, making people feel fuller and less hungry. Although the drug is not a quick fix or a replacement for eating well and exercising, experts have cautioned that it should only be offered under medical supervision. Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of the NHS, said the drugs would be a “game-changer” for public health and could reduce the risk of diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes. David A Ricks, the chairman and chief executive of Lilly, welcomed the opportunity to partner with the UK Government on tackling and preventing disease and accelerating innovation to advance care delivery models
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