Britain will be ‘fat free' in decade with more people given access to weight loss jabs – saving economy £30bn

The Sun

02-07-2025

BRITAIN will be 'fat free' within a decade, paving the way for £30billion of tax cuts, Wes Streeting claims.
The Health Secretary told The Sun he's on a mission to slash levies by giving more people access to drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.
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Mr Streeting said: 'The jabs are a route not just to lower weight, but lower taxes.'
Obesity -related illnesses cost the NHS a whopping £30billion every year.
Currently people with a BMI of 35 or more — or 30 with a health condition — can be prescribed injections on the NHS through specialist weight-management services.
But for those who don't meet the criteria, accessing the jab can set household finances back hundreds of pounds a month.
The Health Secretary said: 'Not everyone in this country has £2,500 a year to spend on weight-loss jabs.
'For Labour MPs like myself, this strikes at the heart of the fairness principle of the NHS, which is supposed to be available for everyone based on need, not ability to pay.
"We're looking to seriously scale up access to weight-loss jabs for everyone who needs them.'
NHS spending watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence believes this could lift swathes of people out of the 'obese' category and get them back to work.
It estimates fat jabs could boost the economy by 257,000 working days, worth £35.6million per year.
Chief exec Dr Sam Roberts said: 'The cost of inaction is simply too high.
'Prioritising prevention is a win-win for the health of the nation and the economy.'
Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons
This proactive approach to tackling obesity-related illnesses forms part of Mr Streeting's landmark ten-year health plan, which will also see the NHS become a neighbourhood health service.
In the next decade, around 250-300 local health centres will be built, which will open six days a week and 12 hours a day.
They will be staffed by doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, health visitors, weight-loss specialists and even job advisers.
Medics will be encouraged to go door-to-door to spot illnesses early.
And patients will be offered scans, check-ups, straightforward treatment, and broader life help.
Artificial Intelligence will also be used to answer patient questions in the NHS app and record data and write letters for doctors.
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The aim is to ease pressure on hospitals, which have been buckling under demand.
As part of the ten-year plan, Mr Streeting has also vowed to fix staff shortages by hiring more doctors, encouraging medical training and rewriting GP contracts to improve funding.
In addition, dentists will be required to work in the NHS for at least three years after qualifying, before they can go private
And more cash will be funnelled into working class areas in a bid to shrink the health gap between rich and poor.
WES JOKES SUN WON IT
SUN readers have won the argument for keeping pub gardens smoker-friendly, Wes Streeting said yesterday.
We revealed the proposal last year, sparking a huge backlash and eventual Labour u-turn.
Wes joked: 'I've lost the battle. So I'll have to keep inhaling your smoke in the beer garden.'
Meanwhile he will push supermarkets and restaurants to sell healthier food and shift discounts on to fruit and veg, insisting: 'It's nudge, not nanny.'