Could weight-loss drugs solve Britain's unemployment problem? | unemployment news

In the UK, a study will be conducted to determine whether weight loss drugs can help people return to work.

British Health Secretary Wes Streeting said last month that U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly was in Greater Manchester to test whether the company's weight-loss drug could curb Britain's unemployment crisis. It was announced that a two-year trial would begin.

The announcement comes a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a summit to encourage investment in the UK, attended by Eli Lilly.

But what do weight loss drugs have to do with unemployment and how do they work?

What are the UK's weight loss drug trials?

On October 14, Starmer hosted a summit aimed at encouraging investment in the UK. Attendees included David Ricks, chairman of US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, which announced a 279 million pound ($365.4 million) investment in the UK. Details about how the money will be used have not been released.

Eli Lilly is the manufacturer of the weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Around 3,000 Greater Manchester residents will take part in a study aimed at observing the long-term effects of a weight loss drug. Details about the study are not yet known.

According to the 2021 Official Health Survey, around 25.9% of UK adults are obese and 37.9% are overweight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more is classified as overweight, and a BMI of 30 or more is classified as obesity.

Announcing the Eli Lily study, British Health Secretary Streeting said obesity-related health problems were costing Britain's National Health Service (NHS) 11 billion pounds ($14 billion) each year.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Health Minister Wes Streeting speak with staff at St. George's Hospital in London, England, on October 28, 2024. [Leon Neal/Pool via Reuters]
What is the unemployment rate in the UK?

As of August 2024, the UK's unemployment rate was 4% of the total population aged 16 and over who were actively seeking work, according to the House of Commons Library, the UK's parliamentary research archive.

Last year, the unemployment rate fell, and 75% of people aged 16 to 64 were employed.

What do weight loss drugs have to do with unemployment?

There is also no economic activity in the UK. This means that people do not have jobs and are not actively looking for work. According to the British labor market statistics report released on October 15, the economically inactive population aged 16 to 64 in the UK is 9.26 million. The economically inactive population includes both people over the age of 16 who actively seek employment and people who are not looking for work or are unable to work. The latter include students, retirees and people who care for others.

From June to August 2024, 30% said they were economically inactive due to a long-term illness, and 27% said it was because they were students. This figure is roughly the same as the previous year.

The UK Labor Market Statistics report does not elaborate on whether obesity or diabetes are specific health problems contributing to economic inactivity.

Adam Green, chief executive of unemployment charity Yes Manchester, told the BBC that obesity was not the main reason some people struggled to find work.

Philip Newland-Jones, consultant pharmacist in diabetes and endocrinology at University Hospital Southampton, UK, told Al Jazeera:

Studies have shown that unemployed people are more likely to be obese, and the longer they remain unemployed, the more likely they are to become obese. Newland-Jones said there is no strict causal link, nor is there absolutely strong evidence that obesity has caused unemployment or continues to prevent employment.

He added that he is not aware of any studies that suggest that giving people weight-loss drugs will help them get back to work. I assume this is the data the UK government is trying to generate through these experiments in the hope that the cost of the drugs will be paid for by increased productivity or GDP.

How do weight loss medications work?

Weight loss medications basically work by suppressing your appetite.

Denmark-based Novo Nordisks Wegovy and Ozempic are semiglutide injections, and Mounjaro and Eli Lilies Zepbound are tirzepatide injections. These are the four main weight loss drugs used worldwide. Ozempic is mainly used in the United States, Japan, European Union, Canada, and Australia. Mounjaro is prescribed in the US, UK, EU and Australia. This medication is available by prescription only, but can also be purchased on the gray market online.

Semiglutide and tirzepatide both suppress appetite by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

Both types of medication are self-administered once a week via prefilled pens. You can inject it into your forearm, thigh, or stomach.

GLP-1 is a gut hormone that your body naturally releases after eating food. The job of GLP-1 is to send signals to the brain that the stomach is full.

Tirzepatides works with a second hormone in addition to GLP-1 called gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP). It is released naturally by cells in the intestine and is responsible for regulating blood sugar.

How much weight can I lose by taking this medication?

People who used the highest weekly dose of 15 mg lost as much as 21 percent of their body weight, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism expert Dr. Cecilia Low Wang wrote in an article published in American University. of UCHealth, a Colorado health system.

Dr. Wang also quoted a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official as saying that people who took tirzepatide, such as Mounjaro, lost more weight on average than those who took semiglutide.

The FDA has approved Mounjaro and Ozempic for use in people with diabetes in 2022 and 2017, respectively, but has not yet approved them specifically for weight loss. Wegovy and Zepbound received weight loss approval in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Will my weight loss be permanent if I take this medication?

no. Dr. Low Wang, quoted in the UCHealth article, explained: Like Ozempic and Wegovy, if you lose weight with Mounjaro, you will likely have to continue taking the medication forever to maintain your weight loss.

Fortune magazine quoted several doctors in July of this year as saying that clinical trials have shown that when people stop taking weight loss drugs, they regain all the weight they lost within about a year.

Do weight loss medications have side effects?

Yes, probably.

For Mounjaro, common side effects listed on the drug's website include nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and abdominal pain.

The website adds that in people with kidney problems, diarrhea and vomiting can cause dehydration, making kidney problems worse. Emphasizes the importance of hydration.

There is an additional set of safety warnings on the website. A safety warning pop-up states that Textaro can cause thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer, warning users to watch out for possible symptoms.

Serious side effects may also include inflammation of the pancreas or hypoglycemic pancreatitis, serious allergic reactions, serious gastrointestinal problems, vision changes, and gallbladder problems.

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