Could weight-loss drugs boost the economy?
A five-year trial will examine the use of Mounjaro in getting people back to work
Weight-loss jabs could be used to help unemployed people get back to work, in a plan under consideration by Wes Streeting. Writing in The Telegraph, the health secretary said obesity was placing a "significant burden" on the NHS and "holding back our economy". The use of weight-loss drugs could be "monumental" in tackling the problem of short- and long-term economic inactivity caused by obesity-related health conditions.
Streeting announced a collaboration with the world's largest pharmaceutical company, Lilly, which will include a five-year trial investigating whether the use of the weight-loss drug tirzepatide helps get people back into employment.
What the commentators said
It's safe to say that to "drug the unemployed with appetite suppressants until they're thin enough to work", wasn't at the top of most voters' wishlists, wrote Will Dunn in The New Statesman. "And yet here we are".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Studies have shown that losing a job can lead to weight gain, he added, but the logic behind the Lilly trial proposes the opposite: that being overweight causes unemployment. Even if that were the case, tackling the "sharp regional inequality in this country" and better regulating unhealthy foods would have more of a "positive impact on economic growth".
Obesity policy specialist Dr Dolly van Tulleken told BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme that the approach raised "serious ethical, financial and efficacy considerations", including the prospect of people being assessed "on their potential economic value" rather than their individual health needs.
The Telegraph's Philip Johnston said there were other problems with the idea. Rather than increasing productivity, Mounjaro – one of the brand names for tirzepatide – left him feeling so sick that he "couldn't go to the office for days".
But Oxford economist Daniel Susskind, writing in The Sunday Times, argued that the rise of weight-loss drugs offered an "immense opportunity" and it was time politicians challenged the idea that they are just a "beauty treatment for a privileged and lucky few".
"We have a potentially blockbuster drug on our hands" with benefits "not only for overweight individuals but for society as a whole".
What next?
Manchester University's Professor Martin Rutter, who is lead investigator for the five-year trial, said his team would be investigating Mounjaro's effectiveness on weight loss and preventing obesity-related conditions such as diabetes. They will also examine its impact on the participants' working lives.
Weight-loss drugs are already prescribed by the NHS for obesity and diabetes, although Sky News said "thousands" of people were unable to access Wegovy because of a slow roll-out by the NHS. According to Freedom of Information requests by the broadcaster, by the end of April, only 800 people out of the 13,500 estimated to be eligible by the Department of Health had been able to start their prescribed treatment.
Speaking to the BBC, Van Tulleken said that there would be "millions" eligible for weight-loss treatment, but that specialist weight-management services could treat only 49,000 patients per year. Drug manufacturers could also struggle to keep up with demand, said the broadcaster, and the NHS has also "tightly restricted" the use of weight-loss drugs. Mounjaro is not yet available on the NHS and officials have warned it "could take years" for it to be rolled out.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Elizabeth Carr-Ellis is a freelance journalist and was previously the UK website's Production Editor. She has also held senior roles at The Scotsman, Sunday Herald and Hello!. As well as her writing, she is the creator and co-founder of the Pausitivity #KnowYourMenopause campaign and has appeared on national and international media discussing women's healthcare.
-
Trump victorious: 'a political comeback for the ages'
In Depth The president-elect will be able to wield a 'powerful mandate'
By The Week UK Published
-
Saoirse Ronan: how the actress went viral
In the Spotlight The actress dropped a 'chat-icide bomb' on Graham Norton's BBC show
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 9, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: a rare but troubling health risk for cannabis users
The Explainer The illness is sending some chronic marijuana users to emergency care for painful persistent vomiting
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Pink cocaine: the new drug cocktail responsible for an increasing number of deaths
In the Spotlight The substance has been linked to the death of Liam Payne and named in a lawsuit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What went wrong at CVS?
Today's Big Question Pharmacy chains are in crisis
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Scottish drug deaths: what's gone wrong?
The Explainer The latest figures show an increase in drug misuse deaths in Scotland
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Mushroom edibles are tripping up users
the explainer The psychedelics can sometimes have questionable components
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Rapamycin: the popular drug for longevity among biohackers
Under the Radar Living longer may be getting easier
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Pharmaceutical companies are warning of a rise in knockoff drugs
Under the Radar The World Health Organization is also urging consumers to be cautious
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
FDA panel rejects ecstasy to treat PTSD
Speed Read It cited flawed study data and the potential for abuse
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published