Weight-loss drugs could halve sickness absence, research suggests, in findings that point to a major shift in how the UK tackles the dual crises of obesity and economic inactivity.
A study of 1,270 NHS patients on Oviva’s Tier 3 weight management programme, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, found that after nine months of treatment with GLP‑1 injections sick days fell by 45 per cent and long‑term sick leave – absences of five days or more – dropped by 56 per cent. Patients lost an average of 12.4 per cent of their body weight, with average Body Mass Index falling from 45 to 39.
The majority of participants were prescribed semaglutide – either Wegovy for weight loss or Ozempic for type 2 diabetes – alongside at least three weight‑related illnesses, most commonly anxiety, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. The findings come from real‑world NHS data, not a clinical trial, and were presented at the conference which ran from 12–15 May 2026 in Istanbul.
Fewer GP visits, fewer A&E trips
Alongside the sharp reduction in sickness absence, the study recorded a dramatic drop in demand for primary care. Face‑to‑face GP appointments fell by 43 per cent and remote consultations by 48 per cent. More than 60 per cent of patients said they did not contact their GP at all during the treatment period.
A separate analysis of 738 patients who received the jabs found that A&E attendance among the group fell by 25 per cent. With about 30 per cent of adults in England classified as obese, the researchers estimate that if the programme were extended to the 3.4 million people currently eligible for weight‑loss jabs on the NHS, it could free up nearly 10 million GP appointments every year. That would save the health service around £364 million annually – equivalent to almost 3 per cent of the GP core budget.
Martin Fidock, the UK managing director of Oviva, a digital healthcare provider that runs the Tier 3 service – typically lasting six months to two years with medication support for two years – said: “Britain is in the grip of a productivity crisis, and obesity is one of the biggest drivers. Our data shows that when people get the right treatment – jabs combined with proper clinical support – they don’t just lose weight. They get back to work, stop relying on their GP and start living again.”
Economic case: £126bn a year cost of obesity
The economic implications stretch well beyond the NHS balance sheet. Obesity and excess weight are estimated to cost the UK economy £126 billion per year, including £31 billion in lost productivity, according to one report; another from 2023 put the figure at at least £15 billion in lost output. These productivity losses arise from health‑related presenteeism, absenteeism, higher unemployment, and premature death.
The Institute for Public Policy Research has highlighted that obesity is a growing contributor to economic inactivity – people who have left the workforce altogether – and makes those in work less productive. Geographic inequalities are stark: rates of both obesity and economic inactivity are higher in the North of England compared with the South. Research presented at the same congress also linked higher BMI to increased financial problems, loneliness and stress, with the relationships likely being bidirectional.
Dr Charlotte Refsum, director of policy at the Tony Blair Institute, called the findings “striking”. She added: “Broader access to anti‑obesity medications could deliver significant gains for the economy alongside major savings for the NHS. This study brings that to life in the real world – showing not just substantial weight loss, but fewer GP visits and more people staying in work.”
Ripple effects on asthma and migraine
The potential health benefits of GLP‑1 drugs are not confined to weight loss and sickness absence. Two separate Danish studies, also presented at the European Congress on Obesity, examined other outcomes. The first looked at patients with asthma who were overweight, obese or had type 2 diabetes and who took semaglutide or liraglutide. It found a 26 per cent reduction in the number of asthma exacerbations – including hospitalisations – compared with the year before. Use of asthma inhalers dropped by 14 per cent and daily inhaled corticosteroid exposure fell by 23 per cent. Pneumonia events were also reduced by 10 per cent. Notably, the effects appeared within a month of starting the drugs, before significant weight loss had occurred, suggesting an anti‑inflammatory mechanism independent of weight reduction – a finding echoed in research presented at the 2026 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology annual meeting, which reported 12–15 per cent reductions in asthma flares across weight categories.
The second Danish study found that 18‑ to 35‑year‑olds receiving Wegovy for weight management had an 18 per cent reduction in the use of acute migraine triptan medication. This aligns with preliminary research presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 78th Annual Meeting in April 2026, which found that GLP‑1 drugs were associated with 10 per cent fewer emergency department visits and 14 per cent fewer hospitalisations for people with chronic migraine compared with those taking topiramate. A pilot study also suggested liraglutide significantly reduced monthly headache days in obese patients with chronic migraines, possibly by affecting intracranial pressure rather than through weight loss alone. Further studies are needed to establish dose effects and whether similar results can be replicated for other GLP‑1s.
Access, cost and the two‑year funding limit
Despite the promising data, access to these drugs on the NHS remains uneven. Wegovy is available for weight management in line with NICE guidance, which requires a BMI of at least 35 – or 30–34.9 with certain comorbidities and a failed conventional treatment – and a referral to a specialist Tier 3 service. Ozempic is reserved for type 2 diabetes and cannot be prescribed solely for weight loss on the NHS due to supply constraints. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is also being rolled out for weight management, but the rollout has faced funding and infrastructure hurdles.
The cost to the NHS for tirzepatide is estimated at between £92 and £122 per patient per month, and NHS England projected that a widespread rollout could cost £15.2 billion over five years. By contrast, a private prescription can exceed £3,000 annually. For patients, the NHS charge is £9.90 per item in England (or free with exemptions), making the publicly funded route far more affordable.
A major point of contention is that NICE guidance currently limits NHS funding for GLP‑1 receptor analogues in obesity to two years. Obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease, and weight regain can occur when treatment stops. The UK has also experienced significant supply shortages of semaglutide (Ozempic), partly due to off‑label prescribing for weight loss, which has affected type 2 diabetes patients.
Meanwhile, global analysis presented at the Istanbul congress suggests that the rate of increase in obesity in high‑income countries, including the UK, may be slowing. However, the UK’s prevalence remains higher than in many Western European nations, and the pressure on the health service and economy shows little sign of abating.
