BRITAIN has 1.5MILLION adults classed as morbidly obese, shock figures
revealed yesterday.
Tens of thousands are too fat to get out their own homes — or beds — and face
premature death, disease and disability.
Figures also show NHS weight loss operations have soared by 530 PER CENT
in six years.
There were 5,407 gastric bypass ops last year — compared to 858 in 2006.
Gastric band ops went up from 715 to 1,316.
The ops cost between £5,000 and £7,000 each — adding up to £50million a year
on the NHS budget. Surgeons carried out 26,227 ops to cut weight in six
years.
Gastric banding involves reducing the size of the stomach with a band fitted
around it, while a gastric bypass re-routes food to a small stomach pouch.
Alberic Fiennes, president of the British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery
Society, said: “There is compelling evidence that weight-loss surgery to
treat the most severely affected is one of the most clinically effective,
safe and cost-effective treatments.”
Consultant NHS bariatric surgeon Sally Norton added: “We’re not just talking
about people weighing 50st. A 5ft 10in man weighing 18st — 6st overweight —
may be morbidly obese and over six times more likely to get diabetes and
four times more likely to need a knee replacement.
“Preventing obesity is essential. And tackling childhood obesity is a major
health priority if we are to prevent huge medical and financial problems in
the future.”
Health minister Simon Burns said: “We want people to live healthier lives but
as a last resort doctors can advise procedures like these are undertaken.”