The government is considering offering weight loss injections to unemployed individuals to help improve their health and increase their chances of finding employment.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has highlighted that rising obesity rates are negatively impacting the UK job market. The plan involves using new weight loss medications to help people get fit and secure jobs, while also addressing broader health and economic concerns.
Medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro, initially approved for diabetes, have gained popularity for their weight loss benefits and are seen as possible solutions to the UK’s economic struggles and the burden on the NHS.
Streeting outlined these plans following the announcement of a £279 million investment from pharmaceutical company Lilly. He emphasized that the NHS currently spends £11 billion annually on obesity-related issues, surpassing the costs of smoking. Obesity also results in an average of four additional sick days per year and can prevent people from working altogether.
Trials of the weight loss injections and their impact on unemployment will be conducted by Health Innovation Manchester in partnership with Lilly. The study will assess whether these medications can reduce unemployment and ease pressure on the NHS. Streeting believes the initiative could have a transformative effect on tackling obesity, helping people return to work and relieving strain on healthcare services.
Dr. Dolly van Tulleken, an obesity policy expert, raised ethical and financial concerns about the approach during a BBC Radio 4 interview. She emphasized that healthcare should prioritize patient needs over potential economic benefits. While the government cannot provide treatment to everyone, with only 49,000 people currently accessing specialist weight management services, van Tulleken agreed with Streeting’s view that there is strong public demand for government action on health.
Former Conservative health minister Lord Bethell acknowledged past mistakes in tackling obesity, admitting that the government had underestimated public support for intervention and that debates over the “nanny state” had been a distraction from meaningful action.