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The UK government is considering offering weight-loss drugs to unemployed individuals with obesity, aiming to address both the nation's rising obesity rates and unemployment. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has proposed exploring the impact of obesity treatments, such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Lilly’s Mounjaro, on employment status and overall health. In a recent opinion piece, Streeting emphasized the significant burden obesity places on the National Health Service (NHS) and how unhealthy eating habits shorten life expectancy. He stated, "Our widening waistbands are also placing a significant burden on our health service."

 

Streeting believes that weight-loss treatments could be “life-changing” for many, helping them not only improve their health but also potentially return to work. He highlighted that these treatments could be a way to alleviate the £11 billion the NHS spends annually on obesity-related issues, a figure even higher than the amount spent on smoking. According to Streeting, "The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity."

 

The announcement coincides with the UK government’s £279 million investment in pharmaceutical company Lilly, a chief rival of Novo Nordisk in the obesity drug market. This partnership will include a five-year real-world study led by Health Innovation Manchester and Lilly. The study will examine the effects of obesity and diabetes treatments on participants’ quality of life, employment status, and sick leave. It will take place in Greater Manchester, aiming to find innovative ways to deliver healthcare to those living with obesity.

 

The government's approach to using weight-loss drugs for unemployed individuals also raises ethical concerns. Last year, Novo Nordisk suggested to the Conservative government that weight-loss treatments could be targeted at people claiming state benefits, a strategy that has faced criticism. Dolly van Tulleken, an obesity specialist at the University of Cambridge, warned about the potential pitfalls of prioritizing treatment based on individuals' economic value rather than their health needs.

 

She emphasized that while treatment should be available to those who qualify, simply offering the drugs without addressing the root causes of obesity, such as access to healthy food, would not solve the problem. Van Tulleken stated, “You can treat people all you want, but if we’re putting them back into the conditions that made them sick in the first place, it’s incredibly important to stop that.”

 

The study will enroll 5,000 participants, but the scale of obesity in the UK presents a daunting challenge. With over two-thirds of the adult population classified as overweight or obese, widespread treatment would be necessary to make a lasting impact. Despite these concerns, the NHS predicts that weight-loss medications could benefit up to 300,000 people, according to James Bethell, a former health minister.

 

The government's push to explore weight-loss drugs as a means of getting people off benefits and back into the workforce is ambitious, but it also raises important questions about health equity, ethics, and the broader societal factors that contribute to obesity. If successful, this initiative could mark a new chapter in how the UK tackles both its obesity crisis and unemployment. However, the challenge will be ensuring that such treatments are accessible and part of a more comprehensive strategy that addresses the underlying causes of obesity.

 

Based on a report from Politico 2024-10-17