Women, middle-aged and middle classes dominating take-up of weight loss jabs despite having lower rates of overweight and obesity
Women, the middle-aged and middle classes are dominating the take-up of weight loss jabs despite having lower rates of overweight and obesity, research suggests.
Analysis of private prescriptions for the likes of Mounjaro and Wegovy indicates those patients with greatest need – such as men, the elderly and poor – are less likely to buy them.
Almost 80 per cent are for women, while the highest uptake is among men and women aged 30 to 49, with use falling sharply after the age of 60.
Researchers from the Health Foundation think tank and online weight management provider Voy analysed 113,630 patients who received a private prescription between November 2024 and October 2025 and considered where they live as a measure of deprivation.
The study showed that people in the most deprived regions were around a third less likely to be buying the jabs than those in the least deprived.
This is despite deprived regions having far higher obesity levels and having the greater potential to benefit from the drugs, according to the experts.
An estimated 2.4million people in the UK take the drugs, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), which help users feel fuller by mimicking the natural hormone released after eating.
Most are prescribed privately at a cost of around £200 a month, as heavy rationing on the NHS excludes many people who want to use them.
People in the most deprived regions were around a third less likely to be buying weight loss jabs such as Mounjaro than those in the least deprived
Wes Streeting told last year’s Labour Party conference it is unfair that the wealthy have been able to benefit from the ‘transformative’ effects the drugs have had ‘on their health, their confidence and their quality of life’ while those who cannot afford to buy them privately go without.
The health secretary suggested he wants millions more patients to get the newest weight loss jabs on the NHS in a bid to ‘defeat obesity’ and said he would not allow such a two-tier system to continue.
However, the rollout on the NHS remains slow.
The new study also found that people in more deprived areas tend to start treatment when they are heavier, suggesting further inequalities in access to the drugs.
Among 30 to 49-year-olds in the most deprived areas, around 45 per cent began treatment with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or above, compared with around 30 per cent in the least deprived areas.
The Health Foundation said this suggests people are getting the drugs later, putting their health at risk in the meantime.
NHS England has put in place a phased rollout of Mounjaro over a period of up to 12 years, but current data suggests even patients who are eligible now cannot get the drug.
On the NHS, some 220,000 patients have been prioritised in the the first three years of a 12-year rollout.
Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, speaking at Labour Party Conference in Liverpool last year
Samantha Field, senior fellow in prevention at the Health Foundation and co-author of the new research, said the findings reveal a ‘stark divide’
Eligible patients in the first year have included those with a body mass index over 40 and other complicating illnesses such as high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
NHS England previously said if all eligible patients – thought to be over three million – turned up for the drug in the first year, and 70 per cent of those were started on treatment, the impact on primary care and general practice would be profound and take up almost one in five (18 per cent) of GP appointments.
Wegovy can be accessed on the NHS for people with health problems caused by their weight and a high BMI.
Samantha Field, senior fellow in prevention at the Health Foundation and co-author of the new research, said: ‘Our findings reveal a stark divide.
‘The groups bearing the greatest burden of obesity are seeking GLP-1 treatments less frequently, and often at higher BMIs.
‘The NHS should be taking these findings into account as the rollout of these medications progresses, to ensure they are reaching the people who are most in need of them.
‘Ensuring fair public provision is essential, but these medications address a problem that is preventable.
‘It’s more important than ever that government retains focus on making the changes to our food environment that will prevent obesity occurring in the first place.’
An NHS spokesperson said: ‘The NHS is rightly prioritising the rollout of weight-loss drugs for those in the greatest clinical need and is exploring ways to accelerate the offering so that eligible people can benefit from safe and effective treatment wherever they live in England.
‘The NHS also offers a wide range of other support for people to lose weight, which has helped tens of thousands of people achieve a healthier weight and wider lifestyle benefits.’
