Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said obese unemployed people could be given new weight loss jabs to help them find a job.
The Labour minister described new medicines such as Ozempic and Mounjaro as potentially “life-changing” for individuals and praised the potential impact they could have on the NHS.
In an opinion piece for the Telegraph, he said: “Our widening waistbands are also placing significant burden on our health service.
“The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity.”
Streeting said illnesses relating to obesity cost the NHS £11bn a year, and weight loss jabs could help ease the strain on the health service.
His words come as Keir Starmer’s government have announced a £279 million investment from Lilly, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company at an international investment summit.
According to the Telegraph, weight loss drugs will be trialled to work out their impact on unemployment.
The study in Greater Manchester, carried out by Lilly and Health Innovation Manchester, will examine whether being put on the drugs will reduce worklessness and the impact on NHS service use.
Streeting said weight-loss injections could have a positive economic impact as well, by reducing the number of sick days caused by obesity.
He said: “Illness caused by obesity causes people to take an extra four sick days a year on average, while many others are forced out of work altogether.”
However, the health secretary emphasised that weight loss drugs were not a silver bullet for tackling obesity, and that individuals would still need to take responsibility for their lifestyles.
He said the NHS “can’t be expected to always pick up the tab for unhealthy lifestyles” and that Brits need to take “healthy living more seriously.”
The chief executive of the NHS, Amanda Pritchard, said weight loss drugs could be a “game-changer” for public health, helping to reduce the risk of diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
Ozempic is perhaps the most well-known weight loss injection treatment. This drug is already available on the NHS to people with obesity, under certain conditions.
The treatment works by mimicking a hormone that makes people feel fuller and less hungry.
However, doctors are keen to emphasise that the drug should not be seen as a replacement for a healthy diet and exercise, and should only be offered under medical supervision, the BBC reports.
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