Weight loss jabs can cut sick days in half, new research finds

Weight-loss jabs could cut sick time in half, according to a new study of NHS patients.A trial carried out by Oviva, who run a weight-loss app, studied 700 NHS patients that use jabs such as Wegovy and found that over six months, a patient’s average time off sick had halved from 2.41 days to 1.18 days per month.It comes as sales of fat-fighting jabs Mounjaro and Wegovy reached 2.5 million in July, which was seven times more than the same period last year, according to figures seen by The Telegraph.Oviva also found that the number of patients with frequent visits to their GP or health centre dropped from 24.8 per cent to 9.3 per cent. The number of jab-takers who had no visits to any NHS professional rose by 34 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of participants who recently had sick leave of more than five days fell from 18.9 per cent to 8.8 per cent.The weight-loss app found in a separate in-depth study of 414 patients that those who were not in work would often cite health barriers such as mobility problems, joint pain and mental health conditions.Last month, Sir Charlie Mayfield of Keep Britain Working shared a report with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business and Trade, urging the government to consider how ill-health had become one of the biggest drivers of economic inactivity in the UK.Martin Fidock, the managing director of Oviva, said: “The UK is in the middle of a productivity crisis. The Mayfield Review demonstrates what we will face over the next decade – hundreds of thousands more people out of work due to long-term health conditions.“Obesity drains £31bn a year in productivity and is one of the biggest preventable drivers of worklessness. Our NHS patients are treated through a combination of injections and online support, and have reduced sick days and GP appointments by half as a result.“But access remains patchy. If the Chancellor is serious about boosting productivity, she must follow through on the Government’s commitment to roll out weight-loss jabs to all those who are eligible, not just for those in certain postcodes.”The NHS started rolling out weight loss jab Mounjaro earlier this year, with tight restrictions on which patients were eligible. Over three years, the health service expects to give the jabs to 240,000 people in order to tackle the obesity crisis.Back in August, health secretary Wes Streeting warned that obesity is one of the leading causes of ill health and costs the health service billions - but pointed out that weight loss jabs could drastically curb the crisis.“We now have the science, technology and knowledge to help tackle the obesity epidemic, if we seize this opportunity,” he said. “This collaboration will help patients living with obesity in a matter of months – through testing better access to weight loss services and treatments.“In the long-term it will inform how we can better tackle one of the biggest modern day health challenges and, through our Plan for Change, create an NHS that is fit for the future.”