Obesity costs the government money. Too much. In the UK they are aware of this and that is why newly appointed Minister for Health and Welfare Wes Streeting has reminded his country that weight gain represents an annual bill of more than $13 billion for the National Health Service (NHS). euro. Nothing extraordinary so far. What’s interesting is the idea that disappears with this figure: If we know that obesity prevents some people from finding work, and we have drugs to combat this, why don’t we prescribe treatment for them?

The proposal has already sparked controversy in the country.

What happened? in a forum posted TelegramWess Streeting claims that he does not like the idea of ​​drugs such as Ozempic, Wegouy or Mounjaro being prescribed to some obese patients. He thinks this is because the treatment will “change their lives” and “help them return to work.” And it also “relieves” the burden on NHS coffers. Ways to reach GuardBBC or Telegram They echoed his words and stated that what is on the table is to prescribe vaccines for the unemployed, thus improving their quality of life and helping them find jobs in the process.

More than words. Wes Streeting’s statements were news in themselves, but they were accompanied by an announcement that was at least as important, if not more important. One issue the Minister is obliged to highlight in his article: Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly will be carrying out a study in the UK with the help of Health Innovation Manchester, which will investigate, among other questions, whether weight-loss drugs affect overall appearance. the work of patients.

“The five-year study will also aim to collect data on the use of healthcare resources, health-related quality of life, and changes in participants’ employment status and sick days at work,” Health Innovation said in a statement. he explains.

The research will be conducted in Greater Manchester using the drug Tizerpatide, created by Eli Lilly and marketed under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. The BBC announced that up to 3,000 people from the district, where approximately 600,000 adults with obesity live, will participate in the research, and that the University of Manchester and NorthWest EHealth will also be involved.

What exactly will they examine? Streeting touted it as a study of the “cutting-edge treatment” for obesity in the “real world.” Its aim is to implement a five-year trial that will evaluate the effectiveness of Tirzepatide, better known by the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound, in losing weight and preventing diabetes or other obesity-related conditions.

The trial will also determine how patients affect the work environment and leave. “This will explore a wide range of outcomes, including health-related quality of life and the impact on people’s employment status,” says Rachel Batterham, a professor and executive at Eli Lilly.

Millions of rain. The project is the result of a “strategic collaboration” agreed with the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Science, Innovation and Technology, and will be accompanied by a significant investment from Eli Lilly, which plans to dedicate 279 of its million pounds (approximately 335 million euros) were used to address health problems in Great Britain. Streeting assures that the collaboration “involves the exploration of new ways to provide health and care services to people with obesity.”

“Think different”. Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke shortly after Eli Lilly announced plans to invest more than £300 million in the UK. And in a sense it is similar to that of the head of the Health field. “These drugs could be very important for our economy and our health,” he told BBC microphones.

“I think it will be very useful for people who want to lose weight, they need to lose weight and it is very important for the economy so that people can go back to work,” Starmer said. he said. The important thing is not just to provide more resources, but also to “think differently.”

“There must be responsibility”. Streeting also issued a warning: “Alongside the right to access these new medicines, we must also continue to have the responsibility to take healthy living seriously.” “The NHS cannot always be expected to foot the bill for unhealthy lifestyles,” he stressed. Telegram. That’s why he assured the Government would take further action, such as banning junk food advertising aimed at children or reforming the NHS to detect problems earlier.

Health problem… And in sterling, which means being overweight costs the public purse. According to the Global Obesity Observatory, the UK has a high obesity rate of 27% among adults of both genders. It could be thought that 64% of adults are overweight, with the latest NHS survey citing 29% in England. This increase in belt size poses a significant challenge to the healthcare system.

Streeting talks about 11 billion pounds a year, which equates to more than 13 billion euros. “It’s even more than just smoking,” he adds. In addition to this “significant burden” on the public healthcare system, the minister warns that being overweight “slows” the progress of the economy. “Illnesses caused by obesity cause people to miss an average of four more days of work per year, while many people have to leave work altogether.”

Is everyone in favour? No. Or at least not everyone sees this as a perfect solution. The BBC also spoke to obesity policy expert Dolly van Tulleken, who encouraged consideration of the “ethical, financial and effectiveness considerations” of the proposal. For him, the key is clear: “How do you observe people or measure them based on their potential economic value rather than primarily on their needs and health?”

On a purely practical level, Tulleken points out that the State would find it difficult to treat the entire population as “eligible” for such treatment, as this figure would run into the “millions”. Today Guard He points out that specialized weight management services treat approximately 49,000 people a year. As of today, tirzepatide is expected to be administered to approximately 250,000 people in the next three years. The idea is to start with people who have morbid obesity.

Images |Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose (Flickr) and Chemist4U (Flickr)

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