New weight-loss jabs could help boost the economy in Britain by getting people “back into work”, the UK prime minister has said.
Keir Starmer said that the anti-obesity medication could also help ease pressure on the British health service.
It comes after England's health minister Wes Streeting suggested that weight-loss jabs could be given to unemployed people to help them return to the workplace.
Mr Starmer told the BBC: “I think these drugs could be very important for our economy and for health.”
He added: “This drug will be very helpful to people who want to lose weight, need to lose weight, very important for the economy so people can get back into work.
“Very important for the NHS [National Health Service] because, as I’ve said time and again, yes, we need more money for our NHS, but we’ve got to think differently.
“We’ve got to reduce the pressure on the NHS. So this will help in all of those areas.”
And writing in The Telegraph newspaper, Mr Streeting said: “Our widening waistbands are also placing significant burden on our health service, costing the NHS £11 billion (€13 billion) a year – even more than smoking. And it’s holding back our economy.
“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.”
It comes as British officials announced plans for new real-world trials of the impact of weight-loss jabs on worklessness.
Researchers will examine the “real-world effectiveness” of anti-obesity treatment Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, over a five-year period.
A study by Health Innovation Manchester and Lilly – the world’s largest pharmaceutical company – will examine the drug’s impact on weight loss, diabetes prevention, the prevention of obesity-related complications, and the impact on NHS use.
The research will also assess whether the drug will reduce worklessness and whether it has any impact on cutting sick days among employed people.
Experts said the results of the trial, which will take place in Greater Manchester, will “potentially inform the UK’s care-pathway approach to the treatment of obesity”.
Mounjaro, manufactured by Lilly, has been hailed as the “King Kong” of weight-loss jabs after a previous study found people taking the drug, along with support to make changes to exercise and diet, lost an average of 21 per cent of their bodyweight over a 36-week period.
Obesity rates have increased across the world over the last 50 years, but at varying speeds and from different starting positions.
The chart shows the change in the share of adults who are defined as “overweight” or “obese” across a range of countries. It is based on the latest… pic.twitter.com/rihNwxW8kF— Our World in Data (@OurWorldInData) September 30, 2024
Health officials have suggested that the roll-out of the drug across England will need to be staggered due to anticipated high levels of demand.
Mounjaro, which is made by Eli Lilly, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, a family of medications that help manage blood sugar and are used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Other GLP-1 agonists include semaglutide – sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.
These medicines have seen a number of global supply issues in recent months.
In his letter, Mr Streeting said: “The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity.
“For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be life-changing, help them get back to work, and ease the demands on our NHS.”
Most approved anti-obesity drugs are offered with support for people to make lifestyle and dietary changes.
Figures from the Health Survey for England show that in 2022, 29 per cent of adults in England were obese and 64 per cent were deemed to be overweight or living with obesity.
According to British government figures, obesity costs the country's health service around £6.5 billion a year and is the second-biggest preventable cause of cancer.
Obesity has also been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. The UK spends almost 9 per cent of its entire health budget caring for people with diabetes.
