Health Secretary Wes Streeting has dismissed suggestions that plans to offer a weight-loss vaccine to obese unemployed people are “dystopian”.
The British government is Five-year trial launched It has teamed up with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to test whether weight-loss drug Mounjaro can help more people return to work and ease pressure on the UK’s NHS by preventing obesity-related diseases.
The announcement sparked a backlash, with some accusing the government of insulting the unemployed and devaluing people economically.
In an interview with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Streeting said the vaccinations were part of a broader health care plan, adding that he was “not interested in some dystopian future where… In this future, I would involuntarily vaccinate overweight unemployed people.”
“There’s already a lot of evidence that these shots, combined with changes in diet and exercise, can help people lose weight while also protecting against cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which is a game-changer,” Streeting said.
But he warned against creating a “culture of dependence”.
Some injections are already prescribed by the NHS to treat obesity as well as in people with diabetes.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously told the BBC that the jab would be “very helpful” for people who want to lose weight.
“[The drug is] It’s very important for our NHS because, yes, we need more funding for the NHS, but we also have to think differently.”
The latest NHS Health Survey for England shows that in 2022, 29% of adults in England were obese and 64% were considered overweight.
Streeting said obesity-related diseases cost the NHS £11 billion a year.
Obesity is also linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, and the NHS spends around £10 billion (9% of its budget) every year caring for people with diabetes.
