A Cabinet minister has come under fire for saying he hopes Britons will use a new £85million NHS fat jabs trial to get ‘beach ready’ and ‘looking their best’.
Peter Kyle said he wants the likes of Wegovy and Mounjaro to be ‘widely used’ and made ‘available to everyone from every background’ as he revealed the drugs will soon be available from pharmacies on the health service.
But critics last night accused the science and technology secretary of irresponsibly promoting the drugs as a ‘cosmetic quick fix’ and reducing obesity to ‘judgements on appearance’.
Tens of thousands of people will benefit from the study that will eventually see weight-loss drugs offered to every obese adult in the country.
At the moment, the powerful injections are only available on the NHS after consultations with a specialist, in conjunction with other weight-loss methods.
There is currently a two-year waiting list.
The government plans to expand the drugs’ use dramatically by dishing out prescriptions quickly and easily in ‘creative’ ways, such as through high street chemists, health centres and apps.
It may be soon possible to walk into a local pharmacy and, after a short assessment by a pharmacist, leave with a supply of fat jabs for the cost of an NHS prescription, which currently stands at £9.90.
The pilot programme will test various ways of getting the drugs into people’s hands before a scheme is rolled out nationally.
It is being run by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and is part-funded by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, maker of ‘King Kong’ fat jab Mounjaro.
As well as a £35million contribution to the trial, Eli Lilly will also pay for the drugs themselves – a cost likely to run to millions.
The law prohibits studies of this kind that involve just one brand, so the pharma giant will have to purchase jabs made by other firms, such as Wegovy.
Mr Kyle said tens of thousands will get the drugs during the trial period, which starts ‘very, very soon’.
‘I’m striving to get people beach-ready this year, so when they come and visit Brighton in the summer, they’re looking their best,’ he said.
‘We’re trying to find the best and most creative ways to ensure that [weight-loss drugs] are widely and effectively used, and made available to everyone from every background.
‘People with resources are already buying them privately, but we know there are people from certain backgrounds who always miss out on this kind of support.
‘We want to make sure that local pharmacies and trusted medical support organisations are involved in the rollout from the very beginning, so that every Daily Mail reader who needs and wants it gets their hands on it from day one.
‘We want to start having an impact so that people can feel their best selves in the summer months.’
More than a quarter (28 per cent) of adults in England are obese and a further 36 per cent are overweight.
Mr Kyle said millions of patients are likely to miss out on fat jabs under the current NHS system because it is too complex and takes too long.
He wants to make them accessible in easier ways, like a visit to local pharmacy or community centre, via healthcare apps, or through carers who make home visits.
However, with upwards of 14 million obese people in the country, rolling it out to everyone all at once could bankrupt the NHS, so it needs to be done gradually.
Critics have said taxpayers should not be footing the bill for trendy drugs that wouldn’t be needed if people chose healthy lifestyles.
But Mr Kyle said Britain’s obesity crisis currently costs the NHS more than £11 billion a year and the economy billions more in lost productivity and benefits.
The drugs, sold under brand names Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegov, Zepbound and others, are given as weekly injections via pre-filled pens into the upper arm, thigh or stomach.
They work by mimicking an intestinal hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) which makes people feel full and suppresses the appetite.
Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said patients must be monitored by specialists who can ensure the drugs are used safely – and criticised Mr Kyle’s use of the term ‘beach-ready’.
‘Obesity is a chronic, relapsing condition with many causes,’ she said. ‘We welcome investment that helps people living with excess weight access much-needed support – but drugs alone are not the solution.
‘It’s also crucial that this scheme avoids stigmatising language.
‘Obesity is a complex health issue, and shouldn’t be reduced to judgements on appearance, which are outdated and irrelevant.
‘Everyone deserves respectful, evidence-based care – not pressure to be “beach ready”. After all, a beach-ready body is any body wearing sun protection.’
Tory MP Stuart Andrew, the shadow health secretary, said: ‘It is irresponsible for a Cabinet minister to suggest that the taxpayer funded NHS is there to fund people to be “beach body” ready.
‘Such remarks trivialise the serious medical purpose of these injections and risk sending a dangerous message, adding to the already complex area of body image concerns.
‘Weight loss medication should only be used when clinically necessary, not as a cosmetic quick fix.’
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘Taxpayers will rightly question whether rolling out weight-loss drugs on this scale is the best use of their money.
‘While tackling obesity is important, ministers must ensure that this scheme delivers value for money and doesn’t simply open the door to spiralling costs or waste.’
NHS organisations are being encouraged to submit proposals for a share of the funding, with patients in successful areas able to access services as early as next summer.
Mr Kyle said £10m of the trial’s funding will be earmarked specifically for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.