Would Wes Streeting take Ozempic?
Weight loss jab Mounjaro, similar to Ozempic, will be available on the NHS to people in the UK struggling with obesity. Health secretary Wes Streeting tells The News Agents about the health benefits he sees for the nation’s health, and explains why he’s tempted to try it.
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In brief…
- Wes Streeting says an NHS trial of weight loss drug Mounjaro could save the NHS £11 billion a year, due to the growing obesity epidemic in the UK.
- He tells The News Agents that offering the drug to overweight British people upholds the principles of the NHS, in ensuring people in poverty are not priced out of medicines that can make their lives better.
- Streeting adds that it will only be available for people most in need, and not for people who simply want to lose a bit of excess weight.
What’s the story?
Health secretary Wes Streeting says he has considered using weight-loss jabs.
The Labour MP is behind an NHS initiative to provide the drugs, originally designed for people with diabetes, in order to improve the nation’s health, work capabilities – and save the government billions.
“I am tempted,” he tells The News Agents.
“I’ve definitely piled on a few pounds since I became health and social care secretary, and I really ought to lead the nation by example.
“Unfortunately, I am as guilty of enjoying a McDonald's or a few pints as anyone else, so I'm not sitting here in judgment of others. I struggle with the same issues as everyone else.”
Streeting claims the scheme could address the £11 billion obesity, and its related health impacts, costs the NHS.
He says that a number of House of Commons colleagues have used the drugs, and says the impact is not just on their health and body-mass, but also on their independence, movement and "get up and go".
The UK government has partnered with the makers of weight loss drug Mounjaro, similar to Ozempic, and the intention is to roll out a trial scheme across the UK to people in need.
Ozempic has become popular with celebrities and influencers, with some high profile names losing huge amounts of weight in short spaces of time due to their use of the drug.
“It's not just the direct cost to the NHS that arises from conditions linked to obesity, but also the wider impact on our health and wellbeing,” Streeting says.
He describes the cost of the jabs, usually around £200 a month for private healthcare patients, as an "injustice".
“Obesity is linked to poverty, and it is a real problem if those who could benefit are priced out of medicine.
“That goes against the founding principles of the NHS that healthcare should be available to all based on need and not ability to pay.”
Mounjaro is a form of semaglutide, which was approved for medical use in 2017. It lowers appetite and slows down digestion, leading to weight loss.
There are a number of side effects of using such drugs, ranging from nausea and stomach cramps to pancreatitis, but is widely considered safe to use.
Like many dietary methods, weight can be quickly regained when someone stops taking the drug.
“These jabs aren't meant for everyone, and they're meant for people with obesity,” Streeting adds.
“They are not for people who'd rather lose a few pounds before they go on holiday, or people that would consider themselves a little bit overweight.”