“GLP-1s have blown our budget” is an excuse we hear for cutting people off from getting care. Fair enough. The costs for obesity treatment need to come down. But a growing body of evidence tells us it would be a serious mistake to overlook the economic benefits of treating obesity. In fact, a recent study in the International Journal of Obesity suggests that a substantial boost in employment and income results when a person receives metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Eight Years of Data from England

Charlotte Bermingham and colleagues examined whether metabolic surgery can influence economic outcomes such as employment and income. They used linked national administrative data from England for 2014 to 2022. This was a population-based retrospective cohort study. The analysis included 40,662 working-age adults (25–64 years) with an obesity diagnosis who underwent metabolic surgery. Their outcomes were compared with 49,921 matched individuals from the general population who did not undergo surgery.

The investigators tracked monthly earnings and employment status before and after surgery. Earnings were measured both across all months and restricted to months in which individuals were employed. Outcomes were standardized to 2023 prices and examined over time relative to the six months before surgery.

Meaningful Economic Effects

The results suggest meaningful economic effects. After surgery, monthly employee pay increased beginning about six months post-procedure, reaching an average rise of £84 per month five years later compared with the pre-surgery period. At the same time, the probability of being in paid employment increased by about 4.3 percentage points within five years.

Taken together, these findings indicate that surgery for obesity may improve labor-market outcomes. The authors conclude that effective obesity treatment could yield economic benefits – not only for individuals but also potentially for society through increased workforce participation.

Sustaining the Benefits

One-and-done strategies for treating obesity are not good enough, though. A recent review of research on metabolic surgery, employment, and productivity found similar benefits over five years. But beyond that, without continuing care, the benefits may fade. Obesity is a complex, chronic disease. Ongoing care is necessary.

We default to thinking about access to care for obesity as an issue of health and concern for others. Relief of suffering is a good enough reason for clearing the way to obesity treatment. But the sticking point often becomes one of economics.

So we must remember that illness and disability have very real economic consequences. Viewed in this way, we can aim to reap economic benefits from better access to obesity care.

Click here for the study in IJO and here for the recent review of this subject in JAMA Surgery. For further analysis of the economic impact of obesity, click here.

Workers on Their Way Home, painting by Edvard Munch / WikiArt