Health secretary Wes Streeting has announced a trial in which unemployed people, as well as some people in work, will be offered weight loss jabs with the intention of making them more employable.
Announcing the move in the Telegraph, Streeting told the paper “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.”
He unveiled a £279 million investment from pharmaceutical giant Lilly, collaborating with the government in a project “that includes exploring new ways of delivering health and care services to people living with obesity, and a five-year real-world study of a cutting-edge obesity treatment.”
It is clear that the main focus of the project is to look at whether health interventions can lower the benefits bill, however. Streeting claimed that “For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be life-changing, help them get back to work, and ease the demands on our NHS.”
The trial will be taking place in Manchester and will look at whether being given the weight loss jabs will reduce workplace absence and increase the chances of being in work.
Benefits and Work would be pleased to hear from anyone invited to join the trial.
