Government or NHS reports and expert analysis

UK Government Proposes Weight Loss Jabs for Unemployed, Defended by Wes Streeting and Keir Starmer

Oct 20, 2024, 08:23 AM

The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is considering a proposal to provide weight loss injections to unemployed individuals with obesity as a means to improve health and boost economic recovery. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has defended the plan, stating it is not a 'dystopian' measure and emphasizing that weight loss drugs could be 'game-changing' but are not the sole solution to obesity, and that he does not want a 'dependency culture'. Critics argue that the initiative prioritizes economic value over health and stigmatizes an already marginalized group. Some health experts warn that weight loss jabs are not a 'quick fix' for worklessness, and new side effects of the drugs are being discovered that could address other serious diseases. The proposal also aims to reduce the burden on the NHS, although concerns about mass-medicating remain.