One in four UK employees have already used a GLP-1 weight-management drug and the growing demand for these medications is raising concerns for employers running healthcare schemes.
Research from Howden Employee Benefits found 26% of the 1,000 Brits it quizzed had already used one of these weight-loss medications.
Furthermore, 41% of employees believe their employer should cover these weight-management drugs as part of their healthcare plans.
Demand for the drugs has grown from the population while the manufacturer of one version, Mounjaro, sharply increased prices in the middle of last year.
As a result, 50% of UK businesses which cover weight-management drugs viewed them as a cost concern, directly impacting what they can offer as employee benefits.
A similar number (49%) expected costs to grow even further, and one in five (20%) businesses cited obesity related conditions and the associated treatment as the single most prominent factor driving their costs up.
In contrast, only 5% expected these costs to slow down next year onwards.
The research, which was taken from Howden’s Global Employee Health Report 2026, found similar results across all global employers.
Two thirds of organisations (65%) said the growing trend for these drugs was a cost concern.
More than half (53%) expected the cost of these drugs to increase by between 5% and 25% in 2026 and around one in ten (9%) expected them to grow by 25% or more.
The firm highlighted that the focus of healthcare was changing to more preventative measures, to help mitigate the effects of costs as early as possible, with weight-management drugs becoming more popular as a prevention tool.
‘A current reality’
Howden Employee Benefits managing director Cheryl Brennan (pictured) noted the demand for these drugs was obvious and employers could not afford to ignore it, but the financial impact cannot be overlooked.
“It is no longer a future projection – it’s a current reality that is forcing business leaders to rethink their plan design and budget allocations,” she said.
“While these drugs offer incredible promise for patient health, their rapidly increasing use poses one of the biggest challenges to benefits affordability in decades.
“The challenge for employers is balancing the cost concern with the clear employee demand – and also setting reasonable expectations.
“It’s crucial that businesses take a wide, multi-faceted approach – these drugs should not be seen as a silver bullet for completely alleviating any issues and pressures caused by weight-related conditions, but should instead be a component of broader, more personalised support.”
She added that there were many other drugs and treatments not covered by employer health plans so organisations would need to justify why they choose to cover weight loss drugs ahead of others.
“With demand soaring, consideration must be given to the guardrails in place surrounding eligibility,” she continued.
“Businesses will have to work out if this improvement balances the scales enough to absorb the cost and cover these drugs as part of their healthcare plans, which has the potential to reshape the employee healthcare space dramatically over the coming years.”
