Today, NHS GPs in England begin prescribing Mounjaro (tirzepatide) under a phased rollout, aiming to reach 220,000 people with severe obesity and multiple comorbidities over the next three years.
This is an important development, but pharmacotherapy alone can’t carry the weight of a national obesity strategy.
ASO Statement on New Obesity Treatments
We welcome the availability of new evidence-based obesity treatments like tirzepatide. These are an important development and have considerable potential to support weight loss for people who are struggling to lose weight. However, eligibility is tightly restricted, many discontinue due to side effects, and weight is often regained after stopping. These medications are not suitable or acceptable for everyone, and without equitable access, there is a real risk of widening health inequalities.
Pharmacotherapy has a place, but it cannot carry the weight of a national obesity strategy. This is a chronic disease.
Meaningful progress requires sustained investment in prevention and early intervention. The evidence is clear: we must address the social, commercial, and environmental drivers of health. Research into weight management programmes and community-based interventions provides valuable insight into what may be effective when prevention is appropriately resourced.
The ASO supports a whole-systems, evidence-led approach that recognises obesity as a complex, chronic disease requiring long-term commitment across prevention, treatment, and policy.
