How weight-loss drugs are deepening the class divide

When Kelly Todd, 46, entered secondary care for weight management on the NHS four years ago, she quickly realised it would take her years rather than months to the weight-loss drugs she needed.

- Radhika Sanghani, The Independent

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She decided to go private, spending £189-£299 a month, whilst remaining within the NHS system. When the NHS made GLP-I drugs like Mounjaro available last year to those with a BMI over 40 and four weight-related comorbidities, Todd was finally given a referral. But nine months on, she's still waiting to access the medication.

“I still don’t have clarity on when I'll be seen. From first approaching my GP to enquire about GLP-I access on the NHS to now, I've effectively been waiting over four years. Given the length of time I've already spent within the NHS pathway, it did not feel realistic to wait indefinitely without support.”

Todd isn’t alone. New research shows that weight loss jabs are more likely to be used by middle-class women in their thirties and forties, than those in the most deprived areas. The Health Foundation, working with weight-loss drug provider Voy, analysed private prescriptions for GLP-I drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy and discovered that 79 per cent are for women spending hundreds of pounds each month. It also found that people in the most deprived areas were a third less likely to be taking the jabs, and tended to be much heavier when they started the medication — creating a stark class divide with real health implications.