AN EXPERT has responded to Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s announcement to trial weight loss jabs, saying it poses a potential risk. 

The news comes following The Forester’s previous story examining the Forest of Dean’s interest in weight loss medications.  

Wes Streeting announced that trials of the weight loss jab Mounjaro will begin in Greater Manchester to reduce ‘worklessness’. Streeting said people with illnesses caused by obesity are taking an extra four sick days off a year or are simply being forced out of work. 

Mounjaro is the brand name of the drug Tirzepatide, which is approved to treat type 2 diabetes, and can also trigger insulin creation and feelings of fullness. 

An expert from Claims.co.uk said: “While the proposal of weight loss jabs to get people living with obesity back to work seems like the ideal solution, it is important to acknowledge the potential risks of this both to employees and employers. 

“With the rise in the use of Ozempic in the U.S., there have been many lawsuits against the drug, with some patients allegedly suffering from gastroparesis, which is stomach paralysis, sudden vision loss and an esophageal injury requiring surgery. Furthermore, common side effects of the weight loss drug include muscle loss and nausea. 

“These long and short-term impacts of the weight loss jab could not only lead to sick days from the workplace but also necessary adjustments, such as shorter hours. The common side effects could also significantly hinder the efficiency of work or limit workers to very specific industries. 

“It is therefore crucial to recognise that weight loss jabs need to be met with caution and not as a ‘quick fix’ to get people living with obesity back to work, as this may have the opposite effect”.

If you are looking to lose weight, you can find more information via the NHS website.