Labour should invest in weight loss medications immediately

And @HowToSaveTheNHS , investment carries risk, which is massive in the NHS. In fact, as a health economist, you'll know that the nhs was established on the basis the good, preventative public health was also introduced. Hospitals were to there for surgery and really poorly.
Well yes, p h is much better than in 1948, but you must agree, that sociologically and psychologically, when something is free, it is valued initially, then taken for granted, as the nhs and p h is now.
Smoking, drinking and sti rates are not brilliant, and despite increasing the price of tobacco and alcohol, it is not a deterrant, even to those who can afford it least. P H messages about their effects don't work.

So, it's not as simple as invest and save when individuals are involved, particularly as those that would 'benefit' from the drugs represent a small per centage of the 'obese' population, and thus a smalker per centage of the overall population

There's talk in the US of the medical insurance companies accepting it because of the knock on effects with fewer weight-related problems. The issue there seems to be that people switch insurance companies quite frequently so one company might fund the drugs then another reap the benefits.

@flashspeed what do you mean by taking 10 mins?
I do 30-60 mins spin, netball (30-45 mins) and lift weights (20-45 mins)
I don't see exercise as pointless, it's for my heart, lungs, mental health and I enjoy it, I just don't see it as for weight loss. Plus netball has the social side to it too

I think a lot of people see obese as struggling to walk, unable to put socks on etc when obesity is also people that run, play sports, lift weights etc

Agree. But I guarantee your opinion will not be popular OP. So many people think using weight loss drugs is 'cheating' or 'lazy'.

For the people saying "they'll just pile it all back on when they come off it" would it be the case that the obese person would be so used to eating smaller portions & avoiding junk food over the course of their treatment that their body & brain have been "reset" as it were so they'd carry on as if they were still on it? I know when I'm on an extreme diet for any length of time my stomach feels as though it's shrunken (most likely it hasn't) & my cravings for junk goes out the window, it'd be interesting to see in a year or two what happens when you actually do come off it, also the weight loss would surely be motivation to keep the weight off? It's a complex isssue

@montysma1 , it's Tim Spector not Phil Spector
Tim Spector - Wikipedia
Phil Spector - Wikipedia

No, that's masturbation.

Do you have evidence from other countries where this has been tried?

I read about it here.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5107426-continuing-mounjaropart-15?

I don't think they give someone 2 years stock in one go, it's more that they'll support them over time if they want to purchase it for maintenance.

I've no idea what the outcome of any lawsuits might be.

People overeat for many reasons - yes, of course they do. Mounjaro removes the obsessive "food noise" which many, many overweight people know about. The way I'm looking at it is I'll use it until I'm at a healthy weight and I hope in that time I will have learned new ways of eating. For instance, I eat between 12 and 6 now - that should be a habit in six months' time. Same with alcohol - I went from having a couple of glasses of wine every night to never giving it a thought. I don't have it in the house now as it never occurs to me to buy it. I'm hoping that remains a habit, too.

As a health economist I think in terms of costs v benefits. I don’t believe moral judgment has any place in this at all.

Do you have a back of the envelope calculation for the savings over time vs. plausibility of funding it, at the necessary scale, in the near term? NB: I agree with setting aside moral hazard etc. I'm interested in costing the benefits vs adverse events. (I'm intrigued by the people who report reduction in alcohol consumption, the drive to gamble, the use of pain medications etc.)

Liraglutide is branded saxenda and victoza. It's also used for losing weight.

No 9t wouldn’t, as people over eat for many reasons, and if you stop you put it back on.

I never said “convenience” foods are cheaper., because I don’t believe they are.

If you have money for gas or electricity, decent basic cookware, a few spices, and a functioning kitchen, which not everyone has.

Convenience foods are quick to prepare and bought by many people who work long hours on low wages. Therefore, as Brits work very long hours compared with many countries in Europe, that is bound to have an adverse effect. .

So long working hrs is one factor that contributes to obesity outside of personal choice.

As is the fact that people are influenced by the culture of their country.

And do you really think that there are more lazy Brits than lazy French or Italians? That doesn’t quite add up does it? Especially given that the welfare state in the uk is shaved pretty thin compared with France.

The amount of money it would save is enormous. Being overweight affects people's health in so many ways.

I agree with you, OP. It should be allowed on prescription if someone is an unhealthy weight. I've been using Mounjaro for six weeks or so and the difference has been incredible. No alcohol, nothing sweet, no thinking about food and able to make good decisions. I've lost just over 1 kg per week, so not in the realm of some who've lost a lot more rapidly, but it's taken that obsessive edge off food and wine and that's been miraculous for me.

I think this thread perfectly highlights the issue Labour faces. Some people think they are going to come in and start throwing money at everything, and not tax them any more, more teachers, reduced waiting lists with everyone offered overtime, gp appts avail, more police, cheap energy, less migration. Christ let’s give everyone free weight loss drugs!

Where are the billions and billions to pay just for the core pledges, what do people think will happen, “tax everyone else but not me I’m skint. “

it’s terrifying how little some people understand of the economy they really need to teach it fully in school.

I know someone who put on weight due to a serious degenerative health condition, who needs to lose that weight for an operation but is finding it a real struggle due to lack of mobility (is on the cusp of needing a wheelchair). She is exactly the kind of person weight loss injections are designed to help but hasn't been offered them, or any other kind of help really. In fact, I know a few people who have put on weight because of their genuine inability to exercise and none of them have been offered any help.

@StickItInTheFamilyAlbum
some online suppliers are offering 2 years worth of transition rather than cutting people off cold
Could they be looking to offload their stock before the US lawsuits result in some kind of ban?
(or have I misunderstood you?)

I wasn't aware of that.
However, now that these products are out there there is a demand for medications which suppress cravings etc.
Demand + large profits to be made = big incentive for pharma to come up with better versions.
No?