The availability of weight loss drugs on the NHS doesn’t mean people can give up healthy lifestyles, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned.

Experts believe drugs like Ozempic will play an important role in tackling the UK’s obesity crisis.

But Mr Sweeting told the Daily Telegraph it was in “everyone’s interest to play their part” and avoid overloading the health system.

“We don’t want to encourage a dependency culture where people think it’s OK not to bother eating healthily or exercising, because the NHS will pick up the tab and pay for their weight loss jab,” he said.

Institute for Public Policy event
Health Secretary Wes Streeting delivers a speech at an Institute for Public Policy event.

“People in this country have the right to expect top quality healthcare, but also a responsibility to look after their own health, so we’ve got to get the balance right.”

Currently, the use of jabs like Wegovy, which treats Type 2 diabetes, is only available on the NHS to treat severe obesity.

Mr Streeting added: “Obesity is a huge drag on the NHS, the economy, and the quality of people’s lives, so obesity jabs are an exciting innovation.”

The latest Health Survey for England found that rates of obesity have not fallen since 2019. In 2022, some 29% of adults in England were obese while 64% were deemed to be overweight or living with obesity.

It comes as health officials in England are considering a staggered roll out of an obesity drug due to high levels of demand.

Nearly a quarter of a million people are expected to receive the Mounjaro jab over the next three years, officials said.

NHS leaders have proposed that people who will get the “greatest clinical benefit” should be first in line, which is to be offered with a “wraparound package” including diet and exercise support.

Officials have proposed that Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, is first given to people with severe obesity – those with a body mass index score over 40 – who have at least three health conditions linked to weight such as heart disease, high blood pressure or obstructive sleep apnoea.

The drug would then be offered to those with a BMI of more than 40 plus two weight-related health problems and then to people with a BMI score of more than 40 plus one weight-related health problem.

Mounjaro, which is made by Eli Lilly, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, a family of medications that help manage blood sugar.

It was initially approved as a treatment option for people with type 2 diabetes who cannot tolerate metformin.

Dr Sam Roberts, chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), said: “This new generation of weight loss medications has the potential to achieve important health and wellbeing benefits for people living with obesity. They can also prevent serious health problems from developing, reducing the long-term risks to individuals.