June 14, 2023 - 5:00pm
Health Secretary Steve Barclay has a cunning plan: offering people weight loss injections on the NHS will get people back to work and, as a result, boost the economy. Barclay thinks there could be “significant” economic upsides to making drugs such as Wegovy available.
Wegovy is a brand for Semaglutide, an appetite suppressant used primarily to treat type 2 diabetes. Demand for the product soared after Elon Musk tweeted about his weight loss success with the jab. Since then, Wegovy manufacturer Danish pharmaceutical Novo Nordisk has been struggling to match extremely high levels of demand, with the company halting its much-anticipated international launch dates and further advertising in the last month.
Meanwhile, the UK government is rolling out a £40 million pilot that hopes to make Wegovy available to Britain’s increasingly overweight population following a single GP visit. The government’s theory is that easy access to weight loss injections will cut NHS waiting lists by “helping to tackle dangerous obesity-related health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer”. If this sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is.
Firstly, there are going to be major supply issues. Parent company Novo Nordisk predicts shortages of Wegovy for most of the year, meaning that NHS patients on the starter dose of Wegovy will likely have difficulties fulfilling their prescriptions from the get-go. Just last month, Novo announced that it already plans to ration the supply of starter doses for Wegovy in the U.S. by at least half.
If this pilot is a “success”, 10–12 million Brits will suddenly be eligible for an injection already being rationed in its primary market. The company has warned that “any launches including the UK (and elsewhere in Europe) will be based on the uptake in the U.S. and our gradual expansion of supply.” This doesn’t bode well for UK patients nor the government’s idea that prescribing Wegovy will cut down NHS waiting lists.
But more importantly, the Health Secretary’s idea that the population losing pounds in weight will straightforwardly add pounds to the economy is wrongheaded. Researchers across America, Canada, Denmark and Britain recently compared men to women and found that, although overweight women have lower salaries than thinner women, the same effect was not observable among men. “Rich women are much thinner than poor women but rich men are about as fat as poor men,” The Economist concluded. In the UK, there are many more obese men than women, yet women are more economically inactive than men. According to the ONS, the main reason for economic inactivity among women (and men) aged 25 – 49 are caring responsibilities. Many working age women can’t meet the costs of childcare if they go back to work. A Wegovy prescription isn’t going to change that.
The Government has said that the Wegovy pilot will only last two years. But a 2022 study suggests that treating a condition like obesity with such a short-term course solves nothing. In the study, two-thirds of patients regained all prior weight lost one year after their withdrawal from semaglutide injections. If it is serious, the NHS would have to offer long-term, perhaps even life-long, prescriptions of a drug whose long-term health effects are not yet understood and whose potential customer base numbers in the millions.
It is understandable that punters flock to the latest weight-lost fad — this has been going on for decades. But you’d expect governments to be a bit more circumspect. The only long-term fixes for obesity are diet and lifestyle, and if would be reassuring if the Health Secretary knew that.
Zandile Powell is a video essayist and a freelance writer. Her Substack and YouTube channel is Kidology.
kidology_co
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SubscribeBrilliant idea all this! The processed food manufacturers make a killing getting people fat and the the Pharma industry makes a killing getting them thin!
Absolute madness. You give people a life time addiction to ultra processed food and then pump them full of drugs (probably for life) to supposedly keep them “healthy”.
Well said
Totally and one might add that this will be prescribed at tax payers’ expense.
Well said
Totally and one might add that this will be prescribed at tax payers’ expense.
Brilliant idea all this! The processed food manufacturers make a killing getting people fat and the the Pharma industry makes a killing getting them thin!
Absolute madness. You give people a life time addiction to ultra processed food and then pump them full of drugs (probably for life) to supposedly keep them “healthy”.
It’s staggering. We should start by outlawing terms like “fat-shaming” and organisations like the “Body positive Movement”. Children who are overweight should be told so, by teachers, parents, and doctors. (As a minimum). We need to loook at parents, and re-educate them as well.
They should be referred to free and available services like “Overeaters Anonymous”. And only as a last resort, should their addiction (for that is what this is about) be medicalised, and they should then be sent to residential rehab for a focused course of counselling and practical behavioural therapy.
That will (slowly but surely) deal with the problem we have now. To stop the future problem, our schools must enforce mandatory dietary, nutrition and cooking-skills courses – for every single student.
This is an entirely avoidable problem which we have allowed to become completely out-of-control, by indulging fat kids and their parents.
Does a family with both adults working really contain “parents” ?
Does a family with both adults working really contain “parents” ?
It’s staggering. We should start by outlawing terms like “fat-shaming” and organisations like the “Body positive Movement”. Children who are overweight should be told so, by teachers, parents, and doctors. (As a minimum). We need to loook at parents, and re-educate them as well.
They should be referred to free and available services like “Overeaters Anonymous”. And only as a last resort, should their addiction (for that is what this is about) be medicalised, and they should then be sent to residential rehab for a focused course of counselling and practical behavioural therapy.
That will (slowly but surely) deal with the problem we have now. To stop the future problem, our schools must enforce mandatory dietary, nutrition and cooking-skills courses – for every single student.
This is an entirely avoidable problem which we have allowed to become completely out-of-control, by indulging fat kids and their parents.
Sound to me like a waste of NHS resources, effectively trying to tackle symptoms not causes. Most overweight people are well motivated to lose weight, but cannot overcome hunger and cravings on a sustainable basis. I would contend that that is because they are eating the wrong foods and/or “food-like substances”. A good first step would be to get the food and pharmaceutical industries out of the guideline setting process and radically revise official dietary guidelines. I will avoid the controversies surrounding what those guidelines should say, but its pretty obvious that the current ones aren’t working.
Sound to me like a waste of NHS resources, effectively trying to tackle symptoms not causes. Most overweight people are well motivated to lose weight, but cannot overcome hunger and cravings on a sustainable basis. I would contend that that is because they are eating the wrong foods and/or “food-like substances”. A good first step would be to get the food and pharmaceutical industries out of the guideline setting process and radically revise official dietary guidelines. I will avoid the controversies surrounding what those guidelines should say, but its pretty obvious that the current ones aren’t working.
My partner is on Ozempic. It has changed his life. He has lost 16kg in nearly three months. Clothes off the shelf now fit him, far less chafing, sweating and struggle, he can exercise more and we are both feeling the benefit of his, fewer carbs and snacks, more fish and steamed veg, weight loss; I am also getting slimmer and healthier and I’m not even on it. I’m not a feeder but, like most people, I have just enough willpower for me but very little to spare for motivating other people including my partner who is a good person.
People are moaning about this because they think others should suffer, for whatever reason, because of their “choices”. Why do they want people to suffer? Why do they “choose” to think like that? Is it a personality defect? Are they misanthropes? They will be the same people saying that “money doesn’t buy happiness” whilst ignoring that debts and struggling are not noble and character building. Ignore these people. If you want to lose weight GET WEGOVY, see the weight fall off and the you that you had forgotten will appear in a short time. Then do everything to hang on to that, make changes, keep the health.
Whilst I disagree in general with Ozempic being readily available I genuinely hope that this weight loss can be maintained for you both. It does sound positive as you have altered your diets to something beneficial in the long term. Good luck and hope you stay positive on this journey.
I can see Ozempic has helped your partner and I’m glad for that. However I worry that these types of injections have to be used indefinitely, and come with the risk of serious side effects which increase the longer they are used – a somewhat Faustian bargain… (or maybe it’s more like the Picture of Dorian Gray?)
If someone could provide me my such picture to hide somewhere whilst it ages and I don’t, I would be very grateful. Ta.
If someone could provide me my such picture to hide somewhere whilst it ages and I don’t, I would be very grateful. Ta.
Whilst I disagree in general with Ozempic being readily available I genuinely hope that this weight loss can be maintained for you both. It does sound positive as you have altered your diets to something beneficial in the long term. Good luck and hope you stay positive on this journey.
I can see Ozempic has helped your partner and I’m glad for that. However I worry that these types of injections have to be used indefinitely, and come with the risk of serious side effects which increase the longer they are used – a somewhat Faustian bargain… (or maybe it’s more like the Picture of Dorian Gray?)
My partner is on Ozempic. It has changed his life. He has lost 16kg in nearly three months. Clothes off the shelf now fit him, far less chafing, sweating and struggle, he can exercise more and we are both feeling the benefit of his, fewer carbs and snacks, more fish and steamed veg, weight loss; I am also getting slimmer and healthier and I’m not even on it. I’m not a feeder but, like most people, I have just enough willpower for me but very little to spare for motivating other people including my partner who is a good person.
People are moaning about this because they think others should suffer, for whatever reason, because of their “choices”. Why do they want people to suffer? Why do they “choose” to think like that? Is it a personality defect? Are they misanthropes? They will be the same people saying that “money doesn’t buy happiness” whilst ignoring that debts and struggling are not noble and character building. Ignore these people. If you want to lose weight GET WEGOVY, see the weight fall off and the you that you had forgotten will appear in a short time. Then do everything to hang on to that, make changes, keep the health.
It’s interesting that obesity is almost always characterised as a complex issue, with no easy solutions. That it’s not the fault of the obese, it’s not as simple as calories in calories out. But along comes the latest miracle drug, and the solution is now simple.
Obesity really is just physics and chemistry. In between all that you might have a lot of psychological issues and a rampant food and pharma industry, but the underlying science of the body remains.
Now take a pill if you want. Take an injection if you want, but it’s not going to cure you of your “condition” until you take responsibility for yourself. The government could help, with education, incentives, disincentives etc, but plainly isn’t minded to.
We are still addicted to the latest quick fix solution. I predict it will all end in tears, one way or another.
It’s interesting that obesity is almost always characterised as a complex issue, with no easy solutions. That it’s not the fault of the obese, it’s not as simple as calories in calories out. But along comes the latest miracle drug, and the solution is now simple.
Obesity really is just physics and chemistry. In between all that you might have a lot of psychological issues and a rampant food and pharma industry, but the underlying science of the body remains.
Now take a pill if you want. Take an injection if you want, but it’s not going to cure you of your “condition” until you take responsibility for yourself. The government could help, with education, incentives, disincentives etc, but plainly isn’t minded to.
We are still addicted to the latest quick fix solution. I predict it will all end in tears, one way or another.
I have read that Semaglutide comes with a black box warning, and causes a range of serious health problems. I understand that people will willingly risk their health to lose weight anyway. One problem is that you have to continue taking the drug (forever?) or you will regain the weight.
I have read that Semaglutide comes with a black box warning, and causes a range of serious health problems. I understand that people will willingly risk their health to lose weight anyway. One problem is that you have to continue taking the drug (forever?) or you will regain the weight.
It’s staggering. We should start by outlawing terms like “fat-shaming” and organisations like the “Body positive Movement”. Children who are overweight should be told so, by teachers, parents, and doctors. (As a minimum). We need to loook at parents, and re-educate them as well.
They should be referred to free and available services like “Overeaters Anonymous”. And only as a last resort, should their addiction (for that is what this is about) be medicalised, and they should then be sent to residential rehab for a focused course of counselling and practical behavioural therapy.
That will (slowly but surely) deal with the problem we have now. To stop the future problem, our schools must enforce mandatory dietary, nutrition and cooking-skills courses – for every single student.
This is an entirely avoidable problem which we have allowed to become completely out-of-control, by indulging fat kids and their parents.
It’s staggering. We should start by outlawing terms like “fat-shaming” and organisations like the “Body positive Movement”. Children who are overweight should be told so, by teachers, parents, and doctors. (As a minimum). We need to loook at parents, and re-educate them as well.
They should be referred to free and available services like “Overeaters Anonymous”. And only as a last resort, should their addiction (for that is what this is about) be medicalised, and they should then be sent to residential rehab for a focused course of counselling and practical behavioural therapy.
That will (slowly but surely) deal with the problem we have now. To stop the future problem, our schools must enforce mandatory dietary, nutrition and cooking-skills courses – for every single student.
This is an entirely avoidable problem which we have allowed to become completely out-of-control, by indulging fat kids and their parents.
Like alot of Tory ideas lately it doesn’t appear to be part of a proper coherent strategy that they’ve used at least some of the last 13years to formulate. Where are the components on processed food, sugar-taxes, lifestyle changes, exercise etc. Where is the plan to reduce waiting lists for things like joint replacement so that people can actually exercise rather than be crippled waiting for c2yrs probably acquiring other co-morbidities as a result?
The drug probably does have a role. It may be a treatment requirement before expensive and more risky bariatric surgery, (and if we do less of that we have that capacity for other surgery), but it’s not the proverbial silver bullet.
Like alot of Tory ideas lately it doesn’t appear to be part of a proper coherent strategy that they’ve used at least some of the last 13years to formulate. Where are the components on processed food, sugar-taxes, lifestyle changes, exercise etc. Where is the plan to reduce waiting lists for things like joint replacement so that people can actually exercise rather than be crippled waiting for c2yrs probably acquiring other co-morbidities as a result?
The drug probably does have a role. It may be a treatment requirement before expensive and more risky bariatric surgery, (and if we do less of that we have that capacity for other surgery), but it’s not the proverbial silver bullet.
Yay, more drugs from Big Pharma. All those Covid shots apparently whetted their, er, appetite. It’s long past time we started drug-shaming.
Yay, more drugs from Big Pharma. All those Covid shots apparently whetted their, er, appetite. It’s long past time we started drug-shaming.
I think the thin women earn more thing is the wrong way round. I have noticed rich women and women with high powered jobs tend to be thin – but I think this is more to do with them being in control of their lives and themselves from an early age. Also maybe from coming from generations of people who had had enough to eat, so didn’t get brought up to finish our plate like a lot of us. Thin women might earn more, but us fatties losing weight won’t make our employers pay us more. We are probably more fun to be around too – our lack of control is often lust for life!
I think the thin women earn more thing is the wrong way round. I have noticed rich women and women with high powered jobs tend to be thin – but I think this is more to do with them being in control of their lives and themselves from an early age. Also maybe from coming from generations of people who had had enough to eat, so didn’t get brought up to finish our plate like a lot of us. Thin women might earn more, but us fatties losing weight won’t make our employers pay us more. We are probably more fun to be around too – our lack of control is often lust for life!
“In the UK, there are many more obese men than women” – this is not true in London!
“In the UK, there are many more obese men than women” – this is not true in London!