UK MPs call for NHS obesity overhaul as black-market GLP-1s and childhood obesity rise

The UK Health and Social Care Committee is calling for the National Health Service (NHS) to overhaul its approach to obesity and treat it as a chronic, lifelong condition similar to diabetes. 

The Members of Parliament (MPs) point out that weight-loss services are insufficient and are creating disparities in treatment access and quality. A “postcode lottery” system — depending on where someone lives — does not benefit those who need treatment the most, they state.

The committee has published a report, outlining recommendations such as creating a standardized care pathway, enhancing staff training, and increasing capacity for weight-loss treatments, including bariatric surgery, dietary guidance, and exercise courses.

Additionally, GLP-1 medications are not widely accessible at the NHS, the MPs say, which creates a two-tier system that benefits only those who can privately pay.

They urge the government to improve the regulation of weight-loss drugs amid a rise in black-market versions and to drive a cultural shift in how obesity is addressed in healthcare.

“There are already examples of harm to people who have accessed illegal GLP-1s online, and we are concerned that these will increase as availability and demand for these products increases,” the report reads. 

“The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency seems to be playing catch-up, rather than proactively addressing this challenge, particularly with social media.”

Key concerns

The report underscores that obesity is largely preventable and costs the UK economy at least £74.3 billion (US$99.4 billion) per year. It finds that two-thirds of adults in England are overweight or obese, while obesity among reception-age children (aged four to five) has hit a record 10.5%.

Two-thirds of adults in England are overweight or obese, while obesity among reception-age children has hit a record 10.5%.“The rising number of children with obesity should alarm us all. Any redesign of services must ensure that children living with obesity get the specialized, holistic support they need,” the report reads.

Furthermore, the report expresses concerns that merging the Department of Health and Social Care with NHS England could lead to the loss of programs that the NHS commissions. The MPs say this requires reassurance on commissioning arrangements, which a modern obesity service framework could provide.

Cultural and system shift needed

The MPs underscore that obesity needs to be recognized as a “chronic, relapsing condition with lifelong physiological impacts.”

“Millions of children and adults in England live with obesity and excess weight. People can spend their entire lives battling with their weight,” comments Health and Social Care Committee chair Layla Moran MP. “Our report urges the government to make improvements to obesity care a priority — both to improve public health and quality of life and to save the NHS billions in the long term.”

“This should be done through a new, nationally available care pathway modeled on how diabetes is tracked and managed. This must also be coupled with a change in attitudes and in language used in policymaking, to properly recognize obesity as the serious health condition that it is.”

With the success of GLP-1s, the MPs urge improved access to these medications by involving online providers. They call for the government to set targets on who should be able to access GLP-1s. 

“A two-tier system has emerged because of limited supply via the NHS, inadvertently deepening health inequalities,” notes Moran. “This needs to be reviewed and streamlined with input from digital providers. We also heard that bariatric surgery is severely underutilized in England, particularly compared with neighboring countries.”

The report follows the committee’s July report, which urged increasing food industry regulation to tackle causes of unhealthy diets. 

In support of the report findings and recommendations, Jack Doughty, treatment lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, says:

“The government must now recognize the scale of the challenge and respond with bold action. This should include a comprehensive independent review, building on the Committee’s findings, to establish how services can be better joined up, identify best practice and demonstrate the potential long-term NHS savings from expanding access to effective treatment.”

“Furthermore, any expansion of services must go hand in hand with stronger prevention policies that tackle the unhealthy food environment and help reduce the risk of obesity in the first place.”