For decades, obesity was treated as a lifestyle choice; a matter of diet, exercise and willpower, not on an employer's radar. That assumption no longer holds. Obesity is a medically defined chronic condition and is now managed through the same NHS assessment and treatment pathway as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. For HR, that changes the question from "why should we get involved?" to "how do we help?" The same way support is offered for diabetes, cardiac or mental health.
The business case is clear. Employees living with obesity take an average of four more sick days a year than healthy-weight colleagues, rising to 147% more likely to be off sick for those with severe obesity. For every 1,000 employees that translates into over £210k a year in avoidable absence.
At the same time, GLP-1 medicines have gone mainstream. UK usage has grown to 2.4 million in 2 years, with a further 3.3 million considering starting GLP-1 in the next 12 months. Howden Employee Benefits corroborates this from the employer's side, stating 26% of UK employees have already used a weight-management drug, 41% think their employer should offer one and 44% of employers are now reassessing their healthcare plans as a result.
So “the train has already left the station”; your employees are accessing these drugs today, with 7% of your workforce likely to start GLP-1 programmes imminently. And this carries a significant risk.
Unlike conditions mainly treated through the NHS, GLP-1 is happening outside of the traditional pathways. With only 220k NHS spaces over the next 3 years for what is likely to be over 4m people, your employees are looking elsewhere for their weight loss provision.
The demand is being filled by a fast-growing, largely unregulated private market, with thousands of websites selling medication with no prescription, no clinical oversight, and no aftercare. The risk of employees accessing fake and counterfeit drugs can cause far worse medical conditions then the drugs themselves.
This gap is exactly where employer-facilitated access adds value. By providing access to a regulated, trusted, safe and clinically-led weight loss partner, employers can provide the best possible option for employees whose chronic obesity requires a NICE treatment pathway, removing the risk of employees accessing illegal drugs. Coaching and support is another critical factor, as medication is more effective when paired with structured human support. Members of coached weight-management programmes lose 21% more weight in their first three months than those on medication alone, and DCA Weight Management offers 12 months post treatment support to minimise weight gain.
Finally, integrating weight loss with access immediate clinician support can provide peace of mind to employees as their physical and mental health changes. Having virtual GP services alongside weight management makes complete sense.
Now is the time to introduce a regulated, safe, and properly supported GLP-1 weight-management partner as part of the employee benefits package. Visit www.doctorcareanywhere.com/business/weight-management to find out more.
