Major study finds weight loss jabs slash sick days

Weight loss jabs are getting Britons back to work by halving the amount of time people are off sick, research reveals. A study of 1,270 NHS patients found sickness absence fell by 45% among those taking GLP-1 injections for nine months, while extended leave dropped by more than half. Experts said a wider rollout of the revolutionary medication could free up millions of GP appointments, saving the NHS around £364 million annually.

The research by Oviva, a company that provides weight management services, was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul. Martin Fidock, Oviva’s UK managing director, said: “Britain is in the grip of a productivity crisis, and obesity is one of the biggest drivers.

“Our data shows that when people get the right treatment — jabs combined with proper clinical support — they don’t just lose weight. They get back to work, stop relying on their GP and start living again.”

The majority of patients in the study were prescribed semaglutide, which is marketed as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for treatment of type two diabetes.

They were severely obese, with an average body mass index (BMI) of 45 and typically managing at least three serious conditions, most commonly anxiety, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

After nine months, participants had typically lost 12% of their body weight and their average BMI had dropped to 39.

Sick days among those taking the drugs fell by 45% overall, with a 56% drop in absences of five days or more. Comparing equivalent three-month periods before and after treatment, average sick days fell from 1.19 per patient to 0.66.

The number of in-person GP appointments patients made fell by 43% and other GP appointments by 58%.

Researchers estimated that if the 3.4 million people in England currently eligible for weight loss jabs on the NHS were taking them, this would free up almost 10 million GP appointments per year.

A separate study of 738 patients on the jabs also found the number of A&E visits dropped by a quarter.

Around 16 million people are living with obesity in the UK. Studies have found they are up to twice as likely to be absent from work.

A report by consultancy Frontier Economics last year estimated that obesity and excess weight cost the UK economy £126 billion per year, including £31 billion in reduced productivity.

Dr Charlotte Refsum, director of policy at the Tony Blair Institute, said the findings were “striking”.

She said: “Broader access to anti-obesity medications could deliver significant gains for the economy alongside major savings for the NHS.

“Tackling obesity is not just a health priority, it’s an economic one. Our work has shown that broader access to anti-obesity medications could deliver significant GDP gains over time, alongside major savings for the NHS.

“This study brings that to life in the real world — showing not just substantial weight loss, but fewer GP visits and more people staying in work.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said a healthy society was “crucial to building a healthy economy”. He added: “We need to get our country back to health and back to work. That’s why we are urgently tackling the obesity epidemic.

“Weight loss jabs have helped us cut the number of sick notes signing people off work for the first time in years, so we’re rolling them out even further across the NHS.

“We’re not going to continue simply issuing a piece of paper that closes a door. We’re going to help people lead fuller, healthier lives.”