‘A tax on being thin’: only high earners make overall savings on food bills from weight-loss drugs
Users need discretionary income of nearly £100,000 a year to make savings on their grocery spend after paying £1,200 for GLP-1s, analysis finds The high cost of weight-loss medication is a “regressive tax on being thin” because the outlay outweighs any saving on food costs for all but the highest earners. Someone needs to have discretionary income of nearly £100,000 a year to actually save money…
A recent analysis reveals that only high earners can save money on grocery bills after paying for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. According to Paddy Winters, a partner at Baringa consultancy, someone must have a discretionary income of nearly £100,000 a year to make any savings after covering the £1,200 annual cost of the medication. Baringa found that a GLP-1 user with £39,000 left after tax and essentials will spend £481 less on food each year, while those with £97,500 remaining will have their grocery spend reduced by £1,200.
However, for all others, the drug's annual cost outweighs any reduction in grocery spending. The high cost of GLP-1 medication is being called a "regressive tax on being thin" because it disproportionately affects lower-wage earners. The analysis also highlights the potential for users to cancel their prescriptions due to the high cost, leading to weight regain and a cycle of debt.
While the NHS provides limited access to GLP-1s, the Independent Pharmacies Association's Dr. Leyla Hannbeck emphasized the need for broader access to ensure that those who stand to benefit from the medication are not priced out of it.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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