By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-25 09:51:08 | Updated at 2026-09-25 10:29:23
53 minutes ago
Britain's obesity crisis is costing the national economy nearly £20billion annually, according to a new study.
Weight-related illnesses are said to be preventing people from working at alarming rates.
The UK suffers the worst per-person productivity losses of any of the eight European nations examined, according to the new findings from the Office for Health Economics.
The figures exceed those of Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
When combined with £14.2billion in direct healthcare expenditure, the overall annual cost of excess weight reaches £33.8billion.
The figure is equivalent to 1.4 per cent of GDP and £488 per person across the country.
That sits between Government spending on housing at 0.9 per cent of GDP and defence at 2.2 per cent.
The £19.6billion economic burden breaks down into several categories.
Nearly £8billion stems from individuals forced out of employment altogether due to ill health, while workers attending their jobs despite being unwell account for a further £5.4billion in diminished output.
Absence through sick leave adds another £2.4billion.
Informal care delivered by relatives and friends represents £2.6billion in forfeited economic value, with early deaths contributing £1.4billion more.
On a per-capita basis, Britain's economic cost stands at £311, exceeding Ireland's £268 and Germany's £256.
Weight-related illnesses are said to be preventing people from working at alarming rates
Despite having a smaller population than Germany, the UK's £19.6billion productivity toll nearly matches Germany's £19.4billion figure.
Two in three British adults are currently overweight or obese.
The report warns that access to weight-loss medications through the NHS remains "severely restricted."
It cites supply limitations, tight eligibility requirements and a gradual rollout as key barriers.
The UK suffers the worst per-person productivity losses of any of the eight European nations examined
Around 3.4 million people living with obesity qualify for Mounjaro under recommended NHS criteria, yet the health service plans to make it available to just 220,000 patients during its first three years.
Meanwhile, roughly two million people across the UK are already funding weight-loss drugs out of their own pockets.
Wes Streeting, during his tenure as Health Secretary, launched pilot programmes to assess whether such treatments could help reduce worklessness.
Earlier studies have indicated that sick days halved among users of weight-loss injections, with obese employees up to twice as likely to take illness-related absence.
When combined with £14.2billion in direct healthcare expenditure, the overall annual cost of excess weight reaches £33.8billion
Richard Torbett, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: "Excess weight and obesity cost the UK £33.8billion a year, equivalent to 1.4 per cent of GDP.
Most of that, £19.6billion, never appears on an NHS balance sheet. It is lost to the economy through people who are too unwell to stay in work."
He added: "Investing more in new effective preventative medicines can deliver better health for patients, a health service not overwhelmed by preventable disease, and a workforce well enough to work and support economic growth."
Within the £14.2billion healthcare bill, digestive conditions account for £3.2billion, Type 2 diabetes £3.1billion, cardiovascular disease £2.6billion and chronic kidney disease £2.3billion.
Across all eight nations studied, which also included Greece and Romania, raised BMI was linked to 278,000 deaths and nearly eight million years of healthy life lost each year.
EFPIA, the European pharmaceutical industry association, commissioned and funded the research.
