By Nadeem Sarwar
Copyright newstatesman
Written and funded by Novo Nordisk
In the UK’s fight against chronic disease, the nation stands at a crossroads. Obesity and its associated consequences1 — type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,2 chronic kidney disease,3 and potentially several other diseases — has become one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time.4 Yet, despite the attention given to scientific and clinical advances, a deeper truth is emerging: we cannot treat our way out of this crisis when the scale of need outstrips the capacity of our health systems to respond.5
The statistics are sobering. According to the UK Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, over 60 per cent of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity.6 Among children, almost 36 per cent aged 10–11 years are overweight or obese.7 The economic toll is equally daunting: the cost of obesity to the NHS (a portion of which is incurred by other healthcare providers such as private hospitals and clinics) is estimated at between £12 – £19 billion annually, with wider productivity losses estimated at almost £24 billion per year.4 These figures reflect a system under strain. A system not designed to manage chronic, lifelong conditions at this scale.
The argument is clear, and we have heard it championed strongly by the Government in its ten-year health plan: the UK must shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.8 Even if every person living with obesity had access to the best available treatments, we wouldn’t fully address the root causes of this crisis. Better prevention of chronic diseases is the key.
This is not a rejection of scientific progress. But these advances must be part of a broader, systemic response – one that addresses the socioeconomic, environmental and behavioural roots of disease.
That’s where the Transformational Prevention Unit (TPU) comes in. Launched by Novo Nordisk in 2023, the TPU is a pioneering and innovative scientific initiative designed to reshape the role and value of prevention in healthcare, including how it is funded and delivered. Its mission is to develop scientifically valid and scalable commercial solutions that can prevent obesity and related comorbidities before they take hold, for people identified at highest risk based on multiple factors including genetics, lifestyle, environmental and other determinants.
Ultimately, the TPU aims to increase people’s lifespan and health span — increasing both the quantity of years lived, and the quality of health in those years. It builds on Novo Nordisk’s long-standing legacy in prevention, from its leadership in diabetes care to global initiatives like Cities for Better Health, which focuses on promoting health equity and tackling the root cause of chronic disease through community-based interventions with local partners.
The TPU’s approach is grounded in three pillars: predict, pre-empt and partner. Combining Novo Nordisk’s scientific insights with large-scale and broad types of data – including from clinics, public health, wearables – it seeks to identify people at highest risk and ensure that interventions reach people before the disease manifests. Building partnerships across both private and public sectors is key to achieve this and deliver impact at population level. This is not about isolated pilot projects, it’s about systemic change.
Central to the TPU’s mission is the intelligent use of data and technology. By harnessing real-world evidence, machine learning and predictive analytics, the TPU can identify individuals and groups at greatest risk, before disease takes hold. For example, in partnership with Genomics Plc, the TPU is using data from the UK Biobank and the All of Us research cohorts to develop new risk prediction tools that can flag early warning signs of obesity, enabling targeted preventative action. This is prevention for the 21st century: data-driven, personalised and scalable.
But the TPU goes further. It recognises that prevention is not just a health issue, it’s a societal one. That means playing an active role in accelerating the shift within our healthcare system from sickness to preventative health, aspiring to stop people from becoming patients, and reducing the stigma that still surrounds obesity. It means acknowledging that obesity is a chronic disease and not simply a matter of willpower, but a complex interplay of genetics, biology, environment, culture and circumstance.9
This holistic view is gaining traction. Advances in obesity science have deepened our understanding of how the body regulates weight and why it resists weight loss. And we now know that obesity is linked to a host of comorbidities1 — from cardiovascular disease to type 2 diabetes to kidney disease.3 Treating these conditions in silos, as health systems often do, is arguably inefficient.8
Instead, a people-centred model of care is needed, one where specialists work together to address the full spectrum of a person’s health needs. This requires not just clinical reform, but a cultural shift in how we think about disease.
Of course, prevention is not a panacea. It requires investment, political will and long-term thinking — qualities that can sometimes feel in short supply. But the alternative is far worse: a future where health systems buckle under the pressure of preventable disease, and where millions suffer needlessly.
There is reason for optimism. Governments are beginning to act, and there is a growing recognition that chronic disease is not inevitable. The tools exist. The science is clear.
Now, Novo Nordisk’s TPU builds on this momentum — it is a call to action not just for the health sector, but for all of us. It challenges us to think differently, to invest differently, and to care differently. Because in the end, our greatest success may be preventing the need to act at all.
References:
1. NHS England: Obesity. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/prevention/obesity/ [Accessed: August 2025]
2. British Heart Foundation: UK Factsheet. January 2025. Available at: https://www.bhf.org.uk/-/media/files/for-professionals/research/heart-statistics/bhf-cvd-statistics-uk-factsheet.pdf [Accessed: August 2025]
3. Ali MM, Parveen S, Williams V, Dons R, Uwaifo GI; Cardiometabolic comorbidities and complications of obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD) J Clin Transl Endocrinol. 2024;36:100341.
4. Nesta: The economic and productivity costs of obesity and overweight in the UK. July 2025. Available at: https://media.nesta.org.uk/documents/The_economic_and_productivity_costs_of_obesity_and_overweight_in_the_UK_.pdf [Accessed: August 2025]
5. Carnall Farrar: Value in health: Unmet care gaps in the treatment of chronic diseases. Available at: https://www.carnallfarrar.com/value-in-health-unmet-care-gaps-in-the-treatment-of-chronic-diseases/ [Accessed: August 2025]
6. NHS England: Health Survey for England 2022 Part 2. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2022-part-2/adult-overweight-and-obesity [Accessed: August 2025]
7. NHS England: National Child Measurement Programme, England, 2023/24 School Year. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-child-measurement-programme/2023-24-school-year/age [Accessed: August 2025]
8. UK Government: Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6888a0b1a11f859994409147/fit-for-the-future-10-year-health-plan-for-england.pdf [Accessed: August 2025]
9. Bray GA, Kim KK, Wilding JPH; World Obesity Federation. Obesity: a chronic relapsing progressive disease process. A position statement of the World Obesity Federation. Obes Rev. 2017;18(7):715-723.
UK25PA00023
Date of prep: August 2025
