London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Recommendations to give weight loss jabs to jobless people living with obesity could be “very important” for the UK economy and health, the prime minister has said.
PM Sir Keir Starmer said he recognised that more money was required for the NHS, and the administration was also required to “think differently” to ease stress on the health system. His remarks came after Health Secretary Wes Streeting articulated the jabs could be given to help people get back into work. Some injections are already specified on the NHS for the treatment of obesity, and also for individuals with diabetes.
How could weight loss jabs benefit jobless individuals?
Sir Keir told the BBC the jabs would be “very helpful” to people who want and ought to lose weight. “[The drug is] very essential for our NHS, because, yes we need more money for the NHS, but we’ve also got to think differently”.
The health secretary said the weight-loss injections could benefit the economy too, decreasing the number of sick days caused by obesity. “Illness caused by obesity forces people to take an extra four sick days a year on average, while many others are pushed out of work altogether,” he said.
However, individuals will still need to remain liable for taking “healthy living more seriously”, as the “NHS can’t be predicted to always pick up the tab for unhealthy lifestyles”, he stated. “As a country, we’re eating more, eating less healthily and exercising less. The costs to the individual are clear – a less healthy and shorter life.”
Some weight loss medications are already prescribed by the NHS. The medicine which suppresses appetite is sold under the trademark names Wegovy – used to treat obesity – and Ozempic, for diabetes. Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of the NHS, expressed the drugs would be a “game-changer” for public health and could lower the risk of diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.