Labour should invest in weight loss medications immediately

[HowToSaveTheNHS]

AIBU to think the Labour government should seriously consider rolling out weight loss drugs to the obese population, to tackle obesity, diabetes and cut NHS waiting lists? Traditional public health measures to tackle obesity are not working.

We spend so much money treating disease associated with obesity and it’s only going to get worse as increasing numbers of people are living for decades with multiple health conditions associated with obesity. Even dementia’s leading cause is Type 2 diabetes.

Looking at the Mounjaro thread on here, huge numbers of Mumsnetters are successfully losing weight and improving their health. But people on lower incomes won’t have access because the drugs are expensive.

A course of drugs for a year will surely be money well spent if we can reduce heart disease/ diabetes/ dementia/ cancer etc… even hypertension.

From what I've read on here, people taking the drugs are losing weight but.. not eating much (sometimes very little eg 1 meal a day) and not always healthy options. So.. what happens when they've lost the weight, and their normal appetite returns? They've not dealt with feeling hungry or learned how to deal with cravings for sugar or other crap food. They, presumably, would then pile the weight back on? Would love to hear from anyone who has successfully stopped taking the drugs and kept the weight off for longer than a year. (not being sarcastic, it might convince me to try it!)

Not everyone who is obese has psychological issues. A lot of people have issues because they are overweight. Obesity is so hard because there isn't a one size fits all approach.

I googled this morning and last year obesity costed the NHS £4.6 billion - that's 3% GDP. We need a solution.

Personally, I think we need to start with more structured approach. Schools should have to have 20 minutes a day of structured physical activity. At risk children should be identified and given free school lunches. Adults who present with a health condition associated with obesity should have to attend a diet clinic or be made to pay a contribution towards the cost of medication.

I know it sounds brutal but we're all paying for this through our taxes. I used to have a friend who would argue "why should my taxes be paying for someone else's treatment when they can do something about it." I never used to agree but I'm getting to that point where I do. Fat acceptance is fine until there are health conditions involved.

None, because the new labour government are going to fully fund the NHS (says leftie mumsnetters)

I don't think they should increase the tax on unhealthy foods, but it would be a good idea to lower the tax on healthy food. The aim shouldn't be to make a government profit on it.
Food is expensive enough.

Or perhaps they should spend the money on education so people can learn how to eat sensibly and cook healthy balanced meals and NOT become overweight? Then people wouldn't make ridiculous excuses like "healthy food is too expensive".

Being overweight is a lifestyle choice for most, so why should they get extra funding when there are far more important things to spend the money on?

This. Spend the money available on cutting waiting lists for essential life saving surgery for diseases that are not caused by people having no self control over what they put into their mouths. Why should the taxpayer fund drugs and surgery for obesity when largely it is an entirely preventable condition if you exercise self control and stop eating crap!

If you were told that your taxes would be reduced because heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes (and all its side effects) etc etc had been reduced in the population by, I don’t know, 50%, because of weight loss meds, would that change your mind? (Genuinely asking, not trying to be inflammatory 😊).

Tim Spector’s nirvana of everyone being on Zoe (and making him a billionaire in the process) with UPFs banned and all of us cycling to work is NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN so I think we might as well prescribe relatively cheap, well researched and extremely available drugs to those who need it so the NHS doesn’t collapse…which I think is where we’re heading.

Great thread, op.

Actually … yes. People know smoking is bad for them, yet they do it. People know drugs are bad for them, yet they do it.

Absolutely this ^^

@MadMonstera I do get PIP but currently husband and I are both on UC and I can’t justify the expense. Unfortunately I am by far the better cook and my husband’s cooking tends towards the beige. And then he complains that we have lots of veg in the fridge and it’s hard to put the grocery delivery away. Well, it’s there to be cooked and eaten, but there is always a reason why we aren’t able to eat it that mealtime.

The irony is that I read through this thread of fat-shaming and blaming and the wild assumptions people are making are why more people don’t ask for help. We don’t eat UPF except for bread because I’m coeliac and allergic to soy, and we’re also managing FODMAP intolerances with DH and DS and this almost completely rules out processed food, which is full of things we can’t eat.

I will keep hoping the waiting list reopens. And if I can find a job - another can of worms, because ableism and ageism double whammy - I will pay to have Mounjaro privately. But I am seriously looking into whether there are ready meals that aren’t too expensive for our straitened circumstances but which are calorie controlled and fit my dietary needs so I can take control of my diet. If that does mean the food going ping instead of being made from scratch. It may be the only thing that helps, for now.

*edit for typo

Not sure how big your flat is and what floor but I started indoor running around my house for an hour a day every day (incorporating sine stair climbing). It's definitely toning me up as my clothes are looser. I also have some 2.5kg weights that I do various exercises with.
Exercising indoors means I have no excuse e.g bad weather or too dark to go out.

No way!! I’m overweight and would never dream of costing the NHS money by popping pills. Instead, I’ve lost a stone over the last month by going for walks everyday and by eating less. It’s not rocket science 🙄

Any extra money should be going to essential services such as cancer.

One stone down, two to go but it’s working. Anyone can do it if they put their mind to it.

This is a thread referring to weight loss. Poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle are directly linked to mental health.

Whilst I think weight loss medication is absolutely marvellous stuff, I don't actually support the NHS funding it.

Evidence that obesity causes significantly different health outcomes is ropey and conflates causation and correlation. Increasing evidence is being found for lifestyle issues which are separate to weight causing the actual health issues. It's also becoming increasingly evidenced that obese people are more frequently and routinely tested for certain health issues (e.g if an obese person goes to the GP for a skin complaint, they're much, much more likely to be tested for diabetes, high cholesterol etc than a 'optimal weight' person is). If you test more of a certain group for something then you'll find higher incidences of it.

It's things like alcohol consumption, stress, exercise habits and UPF consumption which actually result in health impacts. For example, I'm a healthy weight but my overall health is much worse than my obese sister who has a far healthier diet and lifestyle than me!

If you can point me at a review that agrees with your summary, I'd be genuinely interested. afaict, there is no demonstrable method for maintaining weight loss and it's rare for it to be sustained over time.

Yes and more well lit paths generally plus a responsible right of access to the countryside.

Absolutely this.

No

Speaking for myself, yes they do. I started Ozempic in January 2023 (now on Mounjaro) and have lost a total of four stone so far (two more to go) by sticking to a very healthy meal plan. I have the odd day (normally close to when my next injection is due) where I allow myself to have treats and then I resume. This has literally been life changing for me: I had put on a lot of weight due to depression, fertility treatment and some other life events that affected my mental health and it had got to the point that it felt like an impossible mountain to climb to get back to a healthy weight. I would try for a few days, fail and then be full of self loathing at not being able to follow through.

I can honestly say that I will ensure I never become fat again, at least not through choice. I feel so much better in every way and as if I have a new lease of life.

Medication is not the answer it's a short term fix people need to be educated on there health and diet and understand what they are eating . So Much of the food we purchase now is processed full of crap and sugar and most people are oblivious to what they are actually consuming

Yes, I do know what the thread is about. I also know about the links to mental health. I'm not sure what your point is, really.

Agree 100%!

Or how about making bariatric surgery more financially accessible so people aren’t tempted to go abroad? Given the pre-op appointment I had and how long my operation was, I’d be pissed off to pay up to £14K privately here when others are going to a world renowned surgeon elsewhere for under £4K. As it is, I paid under £3K privately due to my health insurance/research.

My point was that people should be taking responsibility for their own health, not relying on the NHS prescribing weight loss drugs. It’s the easy and lazy way out. It really wasn’t a hard to comprehend statement.

No because they’re poison and only work as long as you are taking them. They should invest in proper weight management courses, even slimming world vouchers would work well