The worldwide weight-loss revolution

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Mar 3, 2026

Claire Barrett, Financial Times consumer editor who shares her personal experience using Mounjaro, discusses access and costs of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs worldwide. Short segments cover who pays for treatment, England’s phased NHS rollout, private payment trends in the UK and UAE, and affordability and potential generics in India.

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ANECDOTE

Claire Barrett's 25 Kilogram Turnaround With Mounjaro

Claire Barrett used Mounjaro privately alongside diet and exercise and lost 25 kilograms where previous attempts failed.
She reports lower cholesterol and blood pressure and a newfound positive self-image after treatment.

INSIGHT

NICE Sees Long-Term Value But Must Ration Access

NICE judged GLP-1 drugs cost effective because weight loss reduces future diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, lowering long-term NHS costs.
NICE estimated about 3.4 million eligible people but rolling out to all would consume ~18% of primary care, so phased rollout targets 220,000 high-need patients first.

INSIGHT

Cost-Effective Doesn't Mean Immediately Affordable

Even when judged cost-effective, immediate universal coverage can be unaffordable due to budget and capacity constraints.
England estimates full rollout costs ~£317m/year by year three so NHS staggered access to manage impact.

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GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound are reshaping the treatment of obesity around the world. But even when these medicines are judged “cost-effective”, access often depends on who can afford to pay. In the second episode of our Business Daily series on the global weight-loss economy, Sam Fenwick examines how different countries are funding — or rationing — access to these high-priced injections. In England, the state's National Health System says the drugs offer good value for money, and yet rollout is being phased in slowly because of cost and capacity pressures. In the United Arab Emirates, most patients rely on private insurance or pay out of their own pockets. And in India, where obesity is rising fast, affordability remains a major barrier, although lower-cost generics may soon change that. If these medicines can prevent diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, they might save health systems money in the long run. But right now, governments, insurers and patients are grappling with the same question: Can we afford the weight-loss revolution?

Produced and presented by Sam Fenwick

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(Photo: A man gets his waist measured. Credit: Getty Images)