Health
The UK should invest in healthy lifestyles rather than drugs
Key Points
The BMJ’s analysis of Mounjaro’s cost to the NHS is fascinating.1 Kudos to the drug industry for finding a true and perhaps never ending El Dorado. There is no shortage of obese people with medical problems or those with body image issues in need of a quick fix. But the NHS expenditure, representing government expenditure or our tax money, is sadly also a quick fix—£574m a year could fund six Olympic velodromes in six cities in the UK (based on figures from 2011).2 It could also fund...
The BMJ’s analysis of Mounjaro’s cost to the NHS is fascinating.1 Kudos to the drug industry for finding a true and perhaps never ending El Dorado. There is no shortage of obese people with medical problems or those with body image issues in need of a quick fix.But the NHS expenditure, representing government expenditure or our tax money, is sadly also a quick fix—£574m a year could fund six Olympic velodromes in six cities in the UK (based on figures from 2011).2 It could also fund approximately 5740 high quality tennis courts in state schools across England.3 Investing in health, in sport, and in young people is more likely to produce sustained impact in the effort to tackle the obesity epidemic.The complex interplay between eligibility, affordability, and effectiveness is likely to be exploited by the drug industry. But as a nation, our preference should be for a healthy, active lifestyle...