UK:The Guardian:Unemployed could be given weight-loss jabs to get back to work, says Wes Streeting

Health secretary announces trials to assess impact of medicines such as Ozempic on worklessness

A study by Health Innovation Manchester and the pharmaceutical firm Lilly would examine weight loss drugs’ impact on worklessness, said the Telegraph

The health secretary wrote: “Our widening waistbands are also placing significant burden on our health service, costing the NHS £11bn a year – even more than smoking. And it’s holding back our economy.

“Illness caused by obesity causes people to take an extra four sick days a year on average, while many others are forced out of work altogether.”

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ludicrous

 

Who's going to fund Ozempic? It's very expensive.

Perhaps they should start investigating why people have become mysteriously disabled in the last 4-5 years?

 

If the NHS wants to offer weight loss jabs to the overweight, that's one issue. But why only to the unemployed? What if I'm employed and I'd like one but it's not on offer to me? It might lead to me feeling a tad resentful. What if I'm unemployed and refuse one? Will I be sanctioned or forcefully injected?

Is the study going to check the correlation (never mind causal link) between being a fat smoker and being unemployed before they start with the injections? Even if they prove that, giving the unemployed weight loss jabs will only solve half the problem - we'll have to pass a law to take their fags off them next. Probably best to remove their beer cans, crisp packets and arrange care for their pit bulls while they're at work as well. Will the study check whether the unemployment is due to companies refusing to employ the obese, or due to the obese being unable to waddle along to an interview? If that's the case surely we could provide them with mobility scooters? If motivation is the issue and we give them Ozempic, we'll just end up with a load of thin unemployed people sitting around at the taxpayers' expense. Plus there's a risk of obese people in employment quitting their jobs to get free Ozempic.

Has anyone thought this through? Jesus I'd expect this kind of stereotyping from Channel 4, but from a minister in a labour government? I think a more useful study would be to assess the impact of tools such as forceps in removing politicians' heads from up their arses.

 

I know... I mean yikes. Was it Streeting that made some comment about 'work bringing freedom' as well? Not to be falling into an internet trope, but... if the cap fits...

indeed.

Lovely to see you by the way Sam

 

Is funding coming from the DWP? ... another PACE?

 

oops no it wasnt, it was Mel Stride, from the party now in opposition. I hope this doesnt break the politics rule... they're all at it, have been for hundreds of yrs. Its equal opportunity ableism and loathing for the feckless scrounging lazy fat etc etc etc etc
At this rate I'll be glad if we dont end up forced into job-centre CBT, forced medication - perhaps some kind of stimulant for us eh, rather than ozempic, since the GET didnt work, or the workhouse - which will be named 'Centre for Hope' or some such.
It will definitely have a gate with an arch & an inspiringly chilling phrase written across it.

 

This is impressively delusional. Very biopsychosocial. The primary health care costs of obesity are significant, though I'm sure overstated, but the total costs are probably more similar to smoking, where the reduction in end-of-life care and, especially, longer retirement makes smokers a net positive in terms of total health care costs. If it's all people care about. Which is not ideal but to make this about money is delusional. For sure the health care costs of infectious diseases are far higher, and every health care system and every major medical institution has essentially not just given up trying, but has decided to embrace them as good for health. Penny-wise and pound-foolish barely captures the imbalance here.

I've seen another article where some physician was talking about how those drugs, GLP-1 agonists, may be as revolutionary as antibiotics, and the same article mentioned huge expected benefits from what they called worklessness caused by obesity. Kookooland stuff.

I also saw that there has been huge developments in later generation drugs of the same type, and that two companies with those patents are massively scaling up production to get the costs down, although it will take those patents to expire to get them economically viable. All of this could be good for general health and well-being, but the benefits in terms of reduction to health care costs are massively overhyped, and they're obviously not counting the long-term costs that this involves. Or even thinking about them. Which aren't bad all things considered, millions of people living healthier retirement years is definitely a good thing, but with age comes more medical care, regardless of how fit people are.

But the entire framing about worklessness gives away the whole game. This is not about health, or even health care. It's about work and profit for the rich, and will probably be matched by the idea of raising the retirement age. Ironically, as we are right on the cusp of at least half the labor force not being needed, as most jobs will get replaced by AI. This is what happens when people with pre-19th century wit try to apply 20th century solutions (work will set them free) to 21st century problems.

 

Nurse who tried Mounjaro becomes first confirmed UK death linked to NHS weight loss jab

Nurse who tried Mounjaro becomes first confirmed UK death linked to NHS weight loss jab

 

Obviously the mental health impacts of the COVID lockdown have led to people becoming overweight and unequivocally explain the sudden high percentage of disability. (sarcasm)

 

So sad. I wonder if they screen the patient first for familial thyroid disease and other health conditions? My sister is still considering this medication has had a lot of screening/blood tests done to determine if she's a good candidate.

We have tv ads here where the actors smile and say "I just asked". What exactly does that mean?

 

Sixteen people in hospital with side effects after weight-loss injections

Sixteen people in hospital with side effects after weight-loss injections

 

Wish I could say it was a surprise, but it isn't. The full side effects profile of a new med can take years to emerge, and if its action is significant enough to alter people's metabolism, the drug should probably be prescribed by a specialist initially. Other new drugs with potentially major effects usually are.