Cost of weight-loss drugs 'cheaper than doing nothing'

Governments are being urged to invest in offering weight-loss drugs to their citizens because they are cheaper than the cost of tackling health issues associated with obesity.

New research conducted by ING Bank has found obesity is costing the United Kingdom 100 billion pounds ($133 billion) a year in lost productivity and healthcare expenses, The Guardian newspaper reported.

The analysis concluded that the UK government would have a net financial gain from offering the weight-loss drug Ozempic to its overweight citizens, because the medication would cost less than the cost of treating their future weight-related health issues.

It said the financial benefit that would result from offering the drug, which was originally developed to treat diabetes, would also be apparent in Germany and the Netherlands.

The research found that the weight-loss drug Wegovy, which costs more than Ozempic, would surpass the cost of treating weight-related health conditions, but that it too would be cost-effective to provide if other factors such as future lost productivity are considered.

ING healthcare analyst Diederik Stadig told the paper: "If the drugs are effective long term, people lead healthier lives, there will be less productivity loss, less private cost, higher quality of life … if you can nip obesity in the bud for a significant amount of people, you could save people so much discomfort, but you could also save society money."

The report said governments should also prioritize prevention, by promoting healthy diets and exercise among people who are not overweight.

Ozempic and Wegovy are both made by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. The United States pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly also makes similar products, called Zepbound and Mounjaro. The products, which are administered as weekly injections, mimic a hormone found in the stomach that makes people feel full.

Obesity, which has become increasingly prevalent globally in recent years, is known to negatively impact health, with conditions including cardiovascular disease and diabetes much more prevalent among people carrying extra weight.

The ING Bank report found obesity costs the UK around 100 billion pounds a year, with around $19 billion pounds of that attributed to the cost on the healthcare system. The report said each overweight person costs the UK healthcare system 1,400 pounds a year while the per-person cost of prescribing Ozempic for a year works out at 830 pounds. It added that in addition to healthcare costs, obesity costs the UK another 80 billion pounds a year in lost economic productivity, the expense of adapting living facilities, additional transportation needs, and other things.

Stadig also said governments should promote healthy eating by not charging tax on healthy choices, such as on vegetables, and by adding tax to unhealthy choices, such as fast food.