Millions of people ‘could be denied weight-loss jabs due to flawed NHS guidance’

Millions of people could be denied access to treatments such as weight-loss jabs because of flawed NHS guidance, a major think tank has warned.

King’s Fund senior analyst Danielle Jefferies said Body Mass Index (BMI) measures, which are used to determine obesity levels, are primarily based on research for white European or American people.

That means they do not account for the inherited ethnic differences of people from Black, Asian, brown, dual heritage or indigenous ethnicities – differences that can mean some groups are more likely to develop some health conditions.

The 2021 census for England and Wales showed 1.3 million people listed themselves as “other” for their ethnic group, while 1.7 million people listed themselves in “mixed or multiple” categories.

Ms Jefferies said that meant the current BMI thresholds “potentially do not fully work for up to 3 million people in the UK”, meaning they could miss out on treatments because they have a lower BMI than is required for some treatments.

The warning comes as the NHS prepares to roll out access to weight-loss jab Mounjaro, to 250,000 patients a year over the next 12 years.

Access to Mounjaro is based on strict measures, including the stipulation that a person has a BMI of over 40. Other NHS treatments, such as IVF, bariatric surgery, and joint replacement surgery, are also managed based on a person’s BMI.

Currently, BMI guidelines for people from black, Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds are lowered to account for health risks that occur at a lower BMI than for white people. But it is not clear if the same is not done for those in these mixed heritage groups.

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Source: The Independent, 18 August 2025