Worker health | Gov considers weight loss drugs to help get people back in work

The UK Government is considering using weight-loss drugs to help support obese people in returning to work and reduce the high rates of long-term sickness, which have become a significant strain on the economy.

Health Minister Wes Streeting suggested that the drug — a rival to Novo Nordisk's Ozempic which has the same effects but produced by pharmaceutical rival Eli Lilly — could potentially improve the nation’s health. 

This follows Eli Lilly's announcement of a £279 million investment in the UK, made during a major summit hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The investment includes "a major real-world study into obesity" to assess the effectiveness of tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro in Britain.

"The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity," Streeting wrote in an article for the Telegraph. "For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be life-changing, helping them get back to work and reducing the demands on our NHS."