More than one million people in the UK using weight-loss injections may risk invalidating their travel or health insurance by failing to declare their use.
Drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are prescribed on the NHS for patients with obesity. However, growing interest among healthy individuals in their weight-loss benefits has driven a surge in demand.
A survey by market researcher Consumer Intelligence found that 26% of 1,000 UK adults did not know how to classify these drugs when purchasing insurance. Of those who responded, 24% considered them medical treatments for health conditions, 11% classified them as cosmetic treatments similar to Botox, and 10% viewed them as lifestyle tools.
Because these medications require a doctor’s recommendation, some users bypass medical oversight and turn to the internet for private purchase. Current estimates suggest around 1.5 million people in the UK are already taking weight-loss drugs, either through specialist weight-loss services or private channels.
Insurance experts warn that failing to disclose such treatments could leave users without coverage when they need it most.
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