Weight-loss jabs are the ‘talk of the House of Commons tea rooms'
Wes Streeting said the jabs should be available according to need, not the ability to pay, and he planned to get them into the hands of those who need them most.
At the moment, people with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or more, or 30 but with a linked health condition, can be prescribed jabs on the NHS through specialist weight-management services.
Other people are paying hundreds of pounds a month to get the jabs privately.
Mr Streeting told LBC radio: 'Weight-loss jabs are the talk of the House of Commons, half my colleagues are on them and are judging the rest of us saying 'you lot should be on them'.
'And the thing is, if you can afford these weight loss jabs, which can be over 200 quid a month, well that's all right for you.
'But most people in this country haven't got spared two and a half grand a year and often the people who have the worst and most challenging obesity also have the lowest income.
'So I'm bringing to weight loss jabs the principle of fairness which has underpinned the NHS.
'It should be available based on need and not the ability to pay.
'And that's what we're going to do on weight loss jabs, as well as a number of other things, including people getting more fit, more active, supporting people on diet and nutrition….that's the bit of the weight loss jab debate that sometimes gets lost.
'It's not that you can have some weight loss jabs and stuff your face with Jaffa cakes…'
He said obesity cost the NHS billions a year, adding that taxes have been going 'up and up' to pay for the health service.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Summit Is in Talks for $15 Billion Partnership With AstraZeneca
By and Dinesh Nair Save AstraZeneca Plc is discussing a partnership deal with Summit Therapeutics Inc. in which it could pay as much as $15 billion over time to license a lung-cancer drug, according to people familiar with the matter. The companies have been holdings talks regarding the potential partnership over Summit's ivonescimab treatment, the people said, asking not to be identified because that matter is private. Summit has also held discussions with other major pharmaceutical firms, the people said.
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
WorldWide HealthStaff Solutions and Books For Africa deliver 40,000 medical books to Kenya
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- WorldWide HealthStaff Solutions (WWHS), a Medical Solutions company and leader in international direct hire recruitment, has partnered with Books For Africa, the largest shipper of donated books to the African continent, to help expand access to nursing education in underserved regions of Kenya. WWHS supported the shipment of 40,000 nursing textbooks to the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). These donations aim to strengthen healthcare education and empower future nurses in Kenya. 'It is exciting to see these donations going to such dedicated students and educators,' said Patrick Plonski, Executive Director of Books For Africa. 'This kind of collaboration is what drives lasting impact. It is our hope that they will advance medical care and medical training in Kenya for many years to come.' This donation comes at a time when many countries are experiencing a critical shortage of nurses, making investments in education and training more important than ever. 'These textbooks represent more than just academic resources; they symbolize opportunity, equity, and a renewed belief in the potential of every health student to transform lives across Kenya,' said Irene Karari, Director at the State Department of Diaspora Affairs in Kenya. Since 2022, WWHS has partnered with Books For Africa to donate more than 100,000 nursing textbooks to parts of Africa. It's a partnership that's deeply personal to WWHS President Louis Brownstone. 'I volunteered in Tanzania in 2008, and it opened my eyes to the power of community and education,' said Brownstone. 'Partnering with Books For Africa allows me to continue that work. With the right resources, I believe we can transform lives and communities.' Books For Africa has shipped over 63 million books to all 55 African countries since 1988. Its mission to end the book famine in Africa aligns with WWHS's mission to improve lives worldwide by connecting global professionals with healthcare employers for the best career opportunities. WORLDWIDE HEALTHSTAFF SOLUTIONS WorldWide HealthStaff Solutions specializes in direct hire international nurse recruitment, connecting healthcare employers with qualified RNs and healthcare professionals worldwide. From recruitment to relocation, we guide both parties through seamless processes to foster long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. With offices in the United States, United Arab Emirates, and the Philippines, we are positioned to serve global healthcare markets effectively. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Medical Solutions LLC
Medscape
2 hours ago
- Medscape
How do Front-of-Package Warnings Influence People?
One of the most common arguments put forth against front-of-package label reforms and warnings meant to help fight obesity is that enacting them will exacerbate weight bias and stigmatization. A recent randomized study set out to look at the impact four different types of front-of-package label warnings on sugar-sweetened beverages had on perceived weight stigmatization and attributional judgments of responsibility for weight and explicit weight bias. The different label types were nutrient warnings indicating a beverage was high in calories or added sugars, text-only health warnings, or graphic health warnings indicating the beverages were linked to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. The labels also differed on whether the content referenced calories and obesity or not. Bottom line findings are easy to describe and not particularly surprising. Labels that referenced obesity as a risk were perceived to be more weight stigmatizing than those that did not, while labels that focused solely on nutrients had a lower perceived efficacy — but only slightly. However, there's still a bit to unpack regarding this study's outcomes and utility. Most important, and as acknowledged by the authors, is that this study did not measure the actual impact of these labels' long-term repetitive use but rather simply studied participants' conscious perceptions after a singular, nonorganic exposure. While some might presume that longer term repetitive shopping exposure would amplify all effects, it's also plausible that long-term exposure will see effects dissipate as consumers become inured to the messaging. But it was heartening to read that nutrient only front-of-package warnings were found to be nearly as plausibly effective as those specifically linked to obesity, because the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is something that should be minimized regardless of the weight of the person drinking them. The same of course is true for any food or nutrient of concern as weight does not dictate whether something is or is not healthful or risky to consume. It is also worth remembering that front-of-package warnings are just one deployable strategy vs the flood of unhealthy food and predatory marketing, and that the more sandbags we fill, the greater the likelihood of benefit. Looking to front-of-packages specifically, along with warnings we might layer on health claim reforms which could, for instance, prevent a box of Froot Loops from bragging on its front that it is fortified with Vitamin D. We might also look to the banning of cartoon mascots designed to entice children and to laws around advertising as a whole in terms of what and when unhealthy food advertising is permitted. Back to this study, though: If the goal as implied is to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, specifically as a sandbag vs societal weight gain, an additional question to ask is whether the impact these same labels might differ between consumers who are and are not utilizing obesity medications. The impact of a warning meant to change food purchases might be influenced by a consumer's degree of hunger and cravings and where those are reduced dramatically by obesity medications. This hypothesis is markedly strengthened by the fact that, even without front-of-package labeling changes and reforms GLP-1 users' purchases have been shown to skew away from calorie-dense, ultra-processed items and towards more healthful items. And if it is found that, yes, people on GLP-1 medications purchasing behaviors are more strongly influenced by labeling reforms and changes than non-users; that observation supports both the implementation of these sorts of reforms (as more and more people with obesity begin to utilize medications, perhaps especially given their coming genericization) and for their formalized coverage through Medicare and/or government interventions designed to help reduce their price.
