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GLP-1 weight loss drugs are transforming obesity treatment, but access is increasingly divided by wealth and geography. Around 1.6 million UK adults used a GLP-1 weight loss drug in the year to early 2025, and most of them are paying privately, as only 290,000 receiving treatment through the NHS, a ratio of roughly 7 to 1. At the same time, obesity is closely linked to deprivation. Prevalence is almost twice as high in the most deprived areas (36%) as in the least deprived (20%). NHS eligibility criteria can also disadvantage those most in need, as qualifying comorbidities are often underdiagnosed among people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, women, minority ethnic groups, and people living with serious mental illness. The challenge is growing. In September 2025, Eli Lilly increased the private list price of Mounjaro by up to 170%, making treatment even less affordable for many people. Academics have described this as a "two tier" obesity treatment system, raising important questions about fairness, access and the risk of widening health inequalities. Join us for an expert panel discussion exploring who can access these medicines, how current policy is shaping treatment, and what can be done to ensure the benefits of GLP-1 weight loss drugs are shared more equitably. Through discussion and audience Q&A, speakers will examine the evidence, challenge assumptions, and consider the future of obesity treatment in the UK. Event organsier:  Catia Nicodemo, professor of health economics, Oxford University and Brunel University of London Speakers: Adrian Brown UCL, NIHR Advanced Fellow and Associate Professor (Principal Research Fellow) in Nutrition and Dietetics in the Centre of Obesity Research at University College Joseph Lee,  Clinical Research Fellow GP with a special interest in cardiology Katharine Jenner, Executive Director, Obesity Health Alliance

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