Health Secretary Wes Streeting has rejected suggestions that a plan to provide obese unemployed people with a weight loss solution is “dystopian”.

UK government is Starting a five-year trial with pharmaceutical giant Lilly to test whether weight loss drug Monjaro could help get more people back to work and reduce strain on the NHS in England by preventing obesity-related diseases.

The announcement sparked sharp reactions with allegations that the government was stigmatizing unemployed persons and depriving people of their economic value.

Speaking with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Streeting said the vaccines were part of a broader health care plan, adding that he had “no interest in some dystopian future where I inadvertently vaccinate overweight unemployed people.” Am”.

“There’s already a lot of evidence that these jabs, combined with changes in diet and exercise, can help people not only lose weight, but also prevent heart disease and diabetes,” said Streeting, who is involved in the Games. -It’s changing.

But he cautioned against creating a “culture of dependency.”

Some injections are already prescribed on the NHS to treat obesity and also for people with diabetes.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously told the BBC that the vaccines would be “very helpful” for people who want and need to lose weight.

“(The drug) is very important for our NHS, because yes, we need more money for the NHS, but we also have to think differently”.

The latest NHS health survey for England in 2022 shows that 29% of adults in England were obese and 64% were considered overweight.

Streeting said obesity-related diseases cost the NHS £11 billion a year.

Obesity has also been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, with the NHS spending around £10 billion a year – 9% of its budget – on caring for people with diabetes.