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 after covering the £1,200 annual cost of GLP-1 medication, according to an analysis by the consultancy Baringa.
“Our analysis shows that GLP-1s risk becoming a driver of inequality,” said Paddy Winters, a partner at Baringa. “Only very high earners will benefit from savings to their groceries whilst taking the GLP-1 pill.”
A regressive tax is one that takes a larger percentage from lower-wage earners’ income compared with those who are more wealthy. Most users buy the drugs with a private prescription.
