New weight-loss jabs could help boost the economy in Britain by getting people “back into work”, the Prime Minister has said.
Sir Keir Starmer said that the anti-obesity medication could also help ease pressure on the NHS.
It comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting suggested that weight-loss jabs could be given to unemployed people to help them return to the workplace.
The Prime Minister told BBC Breakfast: “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 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 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 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% 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
NHS officials have suggested that the roll-out of the drug across England will need to be staggered due to anticipated high levels of demand.
Nearly a quarter-of-a-million people are expected to receive the Mounjaro jab over the next three years, officials have said.
NHS leaders have proposed that people who will get the “greatest clinical benefit” should be first in line for the drug, which is to be offered with a “wraparound package” including diet and exercise support.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) will publish its final guidance on Mounjaro and obesity later this year.
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 supply issues in recent months.
In his letter, the Health Secretary 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.”
A recent report by the NHS Confederation and the Boston Consulting Group highlights how economic inactivity in the UK has risen by 900,000 since 2020, with 85% of this due to people who are long-term sick.
The authors said that two main age groups were driving the rise in long-term sickness coupled with economic inactivity – 18 to 24-year-olds and 50 to 64-year-olds, with the older group accounting for 55% of all inactive long-term sick people.
In both groups there had been a “rapid rise” in people reporting multiple health conditions, the report found.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) and mental health issues account for around 50% of all conditions reported by people who are long-term sick and economically inactive.
Mr Streeting insisted individuals will need to remain responsible for taking “healthy living more seriously”, as the “NHS can’t be expected to always pick up the tab for unhealthy lifestyles”.
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% of adults in England were obese and 64% were deemed to be overweight or living with obesity.
According to Government figures, obesity costs the NHS 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 NHS spends around £10 billion a year – almost 9% of its entire budget – caring for people with diabetes.
