Around one in four adults in Britain is obese, according to estimates from the country’s National Health Service, and the problem costs the public health care system billions every year. Now, the government says that weight-loss injections might be part of the solution, and might even help boost Britain’s productivity, which has been sluggish for years. Studies show that people with obesity are more likely to find that ill health affects their productivity and attendance at work. On Monday, the government announced a 279 million pound (around $365 million) investment from the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. Among other things, the investment will help explore new ways of delivering health services to people living with obesity, and include a five-year trial of the company’s drug tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro, which is used to treat diabetes and for weight loss.
