UK believes that diet medication could lower unemployment, but experts contradict experts

UK believes that diet medication could lower unemployment, but experts contradict experts

weight -reducing medication such as Wegovy and Ozempic are considered revolutionary in medicine worldwide. The British government hopes not only to improve the health of the unemployed, but also to relieve public finances and ultimately save in healthcare.

life -changing treatments

"For many people, these weight reduction preparations will be changing life, help them to return to work and reduce the burden for the NHS [National Health Service]", wrote the British Minister of Health Wes Streeting recently in the newspaper The Telegraph.

Streeting pointed out that obesity is a "considerable burden for our health service" and causes costs of £ 11 ($ 14 billion) annually. In addition, overweight leads to people take an average of four additional days of illness a year, which harms the economy.

five -year study for use of medication

In order to counteract this development, the government finances a five -year study on the weight reduction medication Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatid . This study is carried out in cooperation with the pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and is intended to collect data on the quality of life of the participants as well as changes in employment status and the sick leave.

However, the project has encountered resistance from health experts who claim that the new pharmaceutical treatments for a massive demand that cannot cope with the public health system.

Health experts advocate additional measures to prevent obesity because they are urgently required. According to the latest health survey for England, at least 29 % of adults in England obese , as well as 15 % of children between the ages of 2 and 15.

debate about obesity and health care

obesity is the second most common avoidable cause of death in England after smoking. It is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dementia, liver diseases and several types of cancer.

The British Prime Minister Keir Strander emphasized that his government must "think differently" about how the pressure on national healthcare can be reduced, which is burdened by lack of personnel and financial bottlenecks. Part of this new thinking is exploring weight reduction medication.

challenges in the implementation of treatments

But experts in obesity and health specialists point out that the health service that has already been overloaded has a hard time providing medication on a large scale. "The idea that this is the solution to obesity is a complete illusion. We still have to prevent as many cases as possible," said Alfred Slade, head of government matters at Obesity Health Alliance.

The OHA evaluated the numbers to existing weight reduction medication such as Wegovy, the brand name for the appetite locker semaglutide. The result? It is almost impossible to make it widespread.

Currently, about 4.1 million people with overweight fulfill the criteria to maintain Wegovy about the National Health System of England. Nevertheless, due to the underfunding of the NHS services and lack of staff, up to 50,000 people per year will actually get treatment, according to the estimates of the OH.

Expansion of medication availability

In order to improve access, the government also plans the extended use of the Mounjaro, or Tirepatide drug, for patients with obesity in addition to type 2 diabetes patients. The Ministry of Health indicates that up to 250,000 people with the greatest need could benefit from this in the next three years.

The Alliance notes, however, that it is unclear how the government will cover the costs of the medication, or how to finance the necessary "accompanying support", which, in addition to these recipes, is necessary, such as nutritional advice and support in physical activity to ensure that patients do not "NOFOLLOW" target = "_ Blank" href = "https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/piis2213-8587(24)00272-9/abstract" Target = "_ Blank"> Muscle mass Lose fat.

prevention as a key factor

A central problem with weight reduction medication is that they treat “the symptom and not the cause” of obesity, says Martin White, professor of population research at the University of Cambridge. Experts emphasize that both aspects have to be addressed.

"You make a social problem a medical one," said White, and pointed out that the rapid increase in obesity rates correlates with the increase in processed food and fast food in society. "It is an overall problem of the population, not the problems of a small number of individuals," he added.

control and regulation

A possible solution is the introduction of higher taxes to unhealthy products. The British sugar tax on sugar -containing soft drinks has already caused manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in lemonade, and studies show that price increases deter some consumers. There are growing demands for a similar taxation of food with sugar and salt.

The experts also call for stricter marketing regulations so as not to advertise unhealthy foods. In October 2025, a pioneering law comes into force in Great Britain that prohibits the advertising for junk food on TV before 9 p.m.

healthy diet in public institutions

Another political solution is to provide healthier foods in the public sector facilities such as schools, hospitals and prisons. White emphasizes that this type of intervention could also be applied to the private sector if offices and corporate caterers are obliged to offer healthier dishes.

In schools there are also problems with the implementation of existing regulations for healthy eating, which is another area that could benefit from more supervision and investments. A Government report has asked for more funds to expand access to free and nutritious school meals.

long -term effects of prevention

"We see more and more that children are gaining weight from a very early age," added White. "If you can prevent this very early, then the savings in the healthcare system are enormous." Of course, it is more difficult to change an entire nutrition system than prescribe a medication. However, the challenge of solving an obesity problem that affects about a third of the British adults requires multifacetized solutions in all areas of society.

"There is no patent recipe for obesity," emphasizes the Obesity Health Alliance.