Hundreds of military personnel are being prescribed weight loss injections, with numbers more than trebling from 73 in 2024 to 240 last year. The drugs Mounjaro and Wegovy were given to 128 soldiers, 58 RAF personnel, and 54 Navy personnel. Of those, 46 were officers while the remaining 194 were in lower ranks.
Separate Ministry of Defence data reveals that hundreds of troops fail annual fitness tests, and a handful are discharged each year due to obesity, with some weighing over 26 stone. Official records show more than 11,000 soldiers, 4,300 sailors, and 3,900 aircrew are classified as obese based on Body Mass Index (BMI). However, the military argues BMI is not an accurate measure as it does not distinguish between muscle and fat.
The statistics also show that almost 6,000 personnel were prescribed antidepressants last year, 2,500 received sleeping tablets, and 872 were given Viagra or similar drugs. Among those, 409 were in the army, 239 in the navy, and 224 in the RAF.
Philip Ingram, a former colonel in British Military Intelligence, commented: "It is good to see the military using all of the tools available in their medical box to get service personnel fit again. It is more cost effective to fix already trained and experienced personnel than remove them and try and replace with fresh blood."
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "Only a small proportion of the Armed Forces are affected by obesity and, when identified, world class lifestyle, dietary and medical support is provided. Weight loss drugs may be considered on a case-by-case basis, as part of a lifestyle and wellbeing programme."
