Employment: Obesity

(asked on 7th July 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assess the impact of obesity treatment on economic inactivity and workforce participation.


Answered by
Baroness Merron Portrait
Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 20th July 2026

The Government recognises that obesity is associated with significant labour market challenges, including reduced workforce participation and increased sickness absence. The Government remains committed to monitoring emerging evidence to better understand the full range of health and economic benefits associated with obesity treatments. Indeed, the evidence base for the impact of health interventions on employment outcomes is rapidly growing, with very robust evidence on the impact of bariatric surgery and Talking Therapies.

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