Tackling Obesity and Health Inequality: The UK’s First Men’s Health Strategy
This month, the government in England will launch a consultation for its first Men's Health Strategy, following the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy in 2022.
Louise Bartlett
Published 22 April 2025
Clinical research
With a staggering 69% of men in the UK now overweight or living with obesity, this strategy comes at a critical time. Obesity continues to be one of the leading contributors to poor health outcomes, raising the risk of:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Certain types of cancer including; Colorectal cancer, Prostate cancer, Liver cancer and Kidney cancer
Men in deprived communities are often at higher risk, and despite the availability of health interventions, engagement remains worryingly low:
- Fewer than 4 in 10 men attend NHS Health Checks.*
- Only 32% of people taking up weight management referrals are men**.
- These numbers reveal the urgent need for targeted obesity prevention and more inclusive healthcare delivery models.
Taking Obesity Research Into Communities
At EMS Healthcare, we’re closing the gap in access by bringing healthcare and clinical research directly into communities — using our mobile, flexible research units to engage patients where they live, work, and spend their time.
Our community-based research sites are identified using a data-driven selection strategy, designed to reach the specific demographics required for each study.
This allows us to:
- Increase participation in obesity-focused clinical trials
- Accelerate recruitment across all communities
- Engage GLP-1 naïve patients who have never previously taken part in research or accessed weight management support
This model is particularly valuable in the rollout of GLP-1 clinical trials — one of the most promising areas in the fight against obesity. By accessing underrepresented communities and naïve populations, EMS Healthcare can help to ensure these studies are more inclusive, representative, and effective.
Why Research Inclusivity Matters
Despite men often being at higher risk for serious health conditions, they can be underrepresented in many health studies. A recent systematic review highlighted that most clinical trials for obesity medications over-recruited White, female participants aged 40 years or older, while male participants were under-recruited.***
This imbalance reflects a broader challenge - and the importance of designing trials that reflect the real-world populations they aim to serve. We believe that breaking down barriers - whether logistical, socioeconomic, or cultural - is key to improving long-term public health.