UK explores weight-loss drugs as solution to obesity crisis

Obesity has become a major public health challenge in the UK, with nearly a third of adults and 15 per cent of children classified as obese, according to recent data. 

Weight loss medications like Wegovy and Ozempic have been widely recognized as groundbreaking in the field of medicine, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

In the United Kingdom, the government is hopeful that these treatments could also provide a boost to public finances, with the aim of using them to help unemployed individuals return to the workforce, ultimately reducing healthcare costs.

"For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be life-changing, help them get back to work, and ease the demands on our NHS [National Health Service]," British Health Secretary Wes Streeting wrote recently in *The Telegraph*.

Streeting further noted that obesity "places a significant burden on our health service," costing the NHS £11 billion ($14 billion) each year, and contributing to an average of four additional sick days per person annually, which puts a strain on the economy.

In response, the government is supporting a five-year trial of the weight loss medication Mounjaro, or tirzepatide, in partnership with the drug manufacturer Eli Lilly. This trial will track participants’ quality of life, as well as changes in their employment status and sick day usage.

However, the proposals have drawn criticism from healthcare professionals, who argue that the surge in demand for new pharmaceutical treatments is overwhelming the country's public health system.

Health experts stress that additional preventive measures to tackle obesity are urgently needed.

The issue of obesity in the UK is undeniable – the latest Health Survey for England, which uses 2022 data, reveals that at least 29 per cent of adults in England and 15 per cent of children aged 2 to 15 are obese.

Obesity ranks as the second leading cause of preventable death in England, following smoking, according to government health statistics. It also contributes to a range of serious health issues, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, liver disease, and various cancers.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged the need for his government to "think differently" about how to reduce the strain on the national healthcare system, which is grappling with staffing shortages and budget constraints. Part of this new approach involves considering weight loss medications.

However, obesity experts and healthcare professionals argue that, due to the already overstretched health system, scaling up drug treatments is challenging, and that more comprehensive solutions are necessary.

By Naila Huseynova