Having been a coach for almost 20 years, I’ve seen first-hand the challenges people face with weight loss. I have found that the battle with obesity often isn’t just about physical health—it’s a deeply emotional and psychological journey. In the fitness industry, the tools we use are exercise, improving eating habits, and lifestyle changes to promote fat loss, build muscle and encourage well-being. However, recent Government proposals (as of October 2024) in the UK to introduce weight loss jabs as a solution to the obesity crisis and economic activity have raised both excitement and concerns.
In the UK we have a problem with economic inactivity with 9.3 million people aged 16-64 not working and aren’t looking for work. Of course, this isn’t all due to obesity. There are multiple factors at play, early retirees, people in full-time education, people with disabilities, sufferers of long-term illness and the odd benefits scroungers make up that number.
The UK government’s plan to offer weight loss injections to help obese individuals return to the workforce is a bold step, but is it really the most effective and sustainable way to tackle obesity or is it another sticky plaster in a long line of sticky plasters?
While I see the potential for these jabs to provide short-term weight loss results, it’s crucial to consider the broader picture of long-term health, lifestyle changes, and mental well-being. Also, I’m a firm believer that weight loss without hard work will be taken for granted and will result in the jab being cycled on and off as weight yo-yo’s up and down.
With that in mind, I would like to discuss the UK government’s proposal, delve into what weight loss jabs are and how they work, and then explore the pros and cons of this strategy. Ultimately, I’ll share my perspective as a personal trainer on whether these jabs can be an effective tool for lasting change.
What Are Weight Loss Drugs and How Do They Work?
Before diving into the good and the bad of these drugs, it’s important to make clear what these weight loss jabs are and how they function. The most well-known medications currently in the spotlight Wegovy and Ozempic, both of which contains semaglutide—a drug originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes.
Semaglutide works by copying a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) that is naturally produced in the stomach. GLP-1 plays an important role in controlling appetite, food intake, and blood sugar levels. When semaglutide is taken, it binds to GLP-1 receptors in the brain, which tricks it into feeling full and reducing the urge to eat. As a result, users tend to eat less and lose weight over time.
However, weight loss drugs are not the cure-all. They must be used in conjunction with diet and lifestyle changes for maximum effectiveness. They also come with side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal discomfort, which can discourage long-term use. There’s also the question of what happens when people stop taking the drug. Will they return to their old ways like happens with many other quick fixes and diets?
The Pros of Using Weight Loss Jabs to Tackle Obesity
Health Benefits and Reduction in Disease Risk
One of the major upsides to weight loss drugs like Wegovy is their potential to significantly improve overall health outcomes. Although all drugs come with a health risk, it’s nowhere near as high as being morbidly obese. In the UK, obesity is a leading cause of many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and a multitude of cancers. By aiding people to lose weight, these jabs could prevent or reduce the severity of these conditions, lowering the burden on the NHS and improving the quality of life for those affected.
For someone who is severely obese and struggling to lose weight through exercise and lifestyle changes, a non-surgical medical intervention like this could be life-changing. Its potential to reverse or mitigate serious health conditions makes weight loss jabs a compelling option for those who have been unsuccessful through other means.
Boosting Workforce Participation
The UK government’s interest in this isn’t altruism, it’s economic. Many obese people are unable to work due to health complications, leading to long-term unemployment, skill shortages in some sectors and increased strain on welfare systems and the NHS.
By offering weight loss jabs, the Government expects to encourage more people to re-enter the workforce, improving productivity and reducing the strain on social services. If successful, this could help to close the gap between the number of job vacancies and the number of unemployed individuals. In theory, healthier individuals would be more capable of working, benefitting both the individual and the economy.
Psychological and Emotional Benefits
Obesity can be devastating on an emotional level. I know from first-hand experience because I too have struggled with obesity in the past. So I know that people can suffer from low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety related to their weight. In theory, the rapid weight loss, facilitated by these jabs, could provide a psychological boost that motivates people to continue making healthy choices.
Losing weight might help individuals feel more empowered in their daily lives, whether at work or in personal relationships. Better mental health may also create a positive feedback loop, encouraging individuals to stick with long-term lifestyle changes. However, I suspect that won’t be the case and the drug will be used as crutch by many, which leads us on to the cons.
The Cons of Using Weight Loss Jabs to Combat Obesity
The Long-Term Sustainability Problem
As a coach, it might come as no surprise that I always advocate for long-term lifestyle changes that promote sustainable health. One of my main concerns with weight loss jabs is the potential to offer short-term results without addressing the root causes of obesity. If individuals rely only on these medications without making lasting changes to their diet and exercise habits, the weight may return once they come off the medication.
Weight loss is often not simply about reducing calories; it’s about establishing a healthy relationship with food, incorporating physical activity into daily life, and combating the mental and emotional barriers that result in overeating. Leaving these factors unaddressed might result in any weight loss achieved through medication being temporary. I can foresee jabs being used for yo-yo dieting, which is another problem entirely.
Side Effects and Accessibility
Like all drugs, weight loss jabs are not without risks. They come with a whole host of side effects including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. For some, these symptoms may be mild, but for others, they could be severe enough to disrupt daily life or discourage continued use. Also, some individuals may not be suitable for these medications due to pre-existing medical conditions.
Weight loss jabs work and work quickly. One unintended side effect of this is excess skin. This can often be as unsightly and require expensive surgery to remove. This can be reduced and possibly avoided through more traditional forms of weight loss involving resistance training. Replacing fat with muscle and reduce the extent of excess loose skin.
Accessibility is another concern. These drugs can be expensive, and even if the Government makes them available on the NHS there may be limits on availability. Will everyone who wants the medication be able to get it, or will access be limited to those who can afford to pay for it? There’s also the issue of supply shortages, as seen recently with Wegovy in the US and UK due to high demand.
Ethical and Social Considerations
From an ethical standpoint, there are concerns about the Government using medical interventions as a means to solve a workforce crisis. I feel that this approach oversimplifies the problem of unemployment by focusing on obesity as the primary cause, without considering the broader social and economic factors at play. For example, unemployment is often linked to mental health issues, lack of education or skills, and socioeconomic status, all of which are factors in employability.
Moreover, there’s a risk of stigmatising obese people by placing societal pressure on, or even coercing, them to undergo medical treatment in order to be part of the workforce. While weight loss jabs may help some people, they should not be seen as a silver bullet in fixing the UK’s employment issues.
Potential for Abuse
Weight Loss medications, like any other drug can be open to abuse. A lot of celebrities and influencers abuse Ozempic and Wegovy to cut weight for movie roles or to help maintain an unnaturally skinny physique for their brand. Seeing this kind of abuse by public figures could influence people who don’t really need the treatment to abuse the drug and potentially harm their health or in rare cases result in death. In the UK alone, weight loss drugs have been linked to twenty deaths and this is before they’ve entered the mainstream.
Ignoring the Roots of Obesity
It’s important to remember that obesity is often linked to other factors such as poverty, food insecurity, and lack of access to healthy food options or fitness facilities. Simply offering weight loss jabs does not address these societal issues.
For many people, the barriers to weight loss extend far beyond biology. If someone lives in a “food desert” with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, or if they work long hours or have multiple jobs and don’t have time to exercise, a weight loss jab is not a long-term solution. Fighting obesity at a societal level requires tackling these systemic issues alongside any medical interventions.
A Personal Trainer’s Perspective: A Holistic Approach Is Key
From the perspective of someone who helps people with their fitness and weight loss journeys daily, I believe that medical interventions like weight loss jabs can play a role in helping obese people, but they should be viewed as part of a broader, holistic strategy. Weight loss drugs like Wegovy can be incredibly helpful for some. However, they are not a substitute for the basic principles of healthy living.
The key to long-term, sustainable weight loss is through lifestyle changes. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and mental health support should all be part of the equation. As a health and wellness coach, I focus on helping my clients build healthier habits that they can maintain for life, not just while they’re taking a specific medication.
Furthermore, any Government initiative that aims to reduce obesity should also invest in education and resources that promote healthy living from an early age. This means improving access to nutritious foods, creating more opportunities for physical activity, and offering support for mental health and well-being. Without addressing these core issues, weight loss jabs alone may not have the lasting impact the Government hopes for.
I feel the UK government’s proposal to use weight loss jabs to combat obesity and boost workforce participation for the most part is well-meaning, with clear health and economic benefits. However, whether it is successful or not depends on the execution, which is something the UK hasn’t had the best track record in over the years. It’s important to recognise that medical interventions are not to be relied on as a standalone solution.
For those struggling with severe obesity, weight loss jabs like Wegovy could be an important tool to help start their journey toward better health. But in order to achieve lasting success, these interventions must be paired with broader efforts to promote healthy lifestyles and address the root causes of obesity. As a personal trainer, I encourage anyone considering weight loss drugs to first look at long-term changes in diet and lifestyle without rolling the dice on medical interventions that we still don’t have enough long-term research into.
“Strength for Life”
Davie
Davie McConnachie
Davie McConnachie is Scotland’s leading health and wellness coach, multi-award-winning gym owner, motivational speaker and the founder of DMC Fitness, a fitness education facility known as the premier choice for 1-2-1 personal training. He has inspired thousands of people to fall in love with fitness – his true purpose and mission in life.
Diving into the world of fitness and wellness has helped Davie to deal with his own trauma and inner demons. He, overcame many dark times using his own unique methods to continue his cycle of healing.
