It’s sad that we’re resorting increasingly to surgery to tackle obesity. The NHS carried out more than 4,000 weight-loss operations last year – nine times as many as in 2004.
Now a report by research body the Office of Health Economics argues for even more, claiming that more than £1billion could be saved in three years if a quarter of eligible patients were treated.
There may be some argument for being more cost-effective, reducing demands on the NHS, but I take these claims with a pinch of salt.
Government advisory body NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) states that weight-loss ops such as gastric bands and bypasses should only be used as a last resort. I agree.
To argue just for cost-effectiveness misses the point. This is a surgical remedy for something that should be tackled much earlier in a risk-free, low-cost way.
All operations carry risks, more so when patients are obese. Although relatively low, risks for a band can be serious, including a tear in the stomach wall, blockage, leakage or erosion of the band, plus potentially serious complications from nausea and vomiting if you overeat after the op.
For bypasses, complications may include leaks from the intestine or bowel, bowel obstruction, internal bleeding and clots. Then there are the usual risks of infection and a reaction to the anaesthetic. After both ops, eating a normal range of foods and portion sizes is no longer possible.
Yet, when people are given the right information, help and support, they can lose weight through lifestyle. A study of 20,000 people by the Medical Research Council concluded that, regardless of genes, lifestyle changes can shift a lot of excess weight.
I’m not suggesting losing weight is easy. There are many reasons people struggle, ranging from a lack of guidance and poor childhood habits to emotional issues.
But I think far more needs to be done to address obesity earlier. We need to start with better education about healthy eating in schools and more exercise in the curriculum.
More primary care trusts should issue prescriptions for exercise and weight-loss groups such as WeightWatchers and Slimming World. These clubs tackle the cause of obesity, educating their members and giving them the support they need to change their behaviour.
The Medical Research Council has found that people referred to WeightWatchers lost 15lb in a year compared with 9lb for those who had just seen their doctor.
People see celebs who’ve lost lots of weight with a band and think it’s a magic bullet. It’s not. We need to tackle why people overeat in the first place – something surgery doesn’t do.
Via : mirror.co.uk
Now a report by research body the Office of Health Economics argues for even more, claiming that more than £1billion could be saved in three years if a quarter of eligible patients were treated.
There may be some argument for being more cost-effective, reducing demands on the NHS, but I take these claims with a pinch of salt.
Government advisory body NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) states that weight-loss ops such as gastric bands and bypasses should only be used as a last resort. I agree.
To argue just for cost-effectiveness misses the point. This is a surgical remedy for something that should be tackled much earlier in a risk-free, low-cost way.
All operations carry risks, more so when patients are obese. Although relatively low, risks for a band can be serious, including a tear in the stomach wall, blockage, leakage or erosion of the band, plus potentially serious complications from nausea and vomiting if you overeat after the op.
For bypasses, complications may include leaks from the intestine or bowel, bowel obstruction, internal bleeding and clots. Then there are the usual risks of infection and a reaction to the anaesthetic. After both ops, eating a normal range of foods and portion sizes is no longer possible.
Yet, when people are given the right information, help and support, they can lose weight through lifestyle. A study of 20,000 people by the Medical Research Council concluded that, regardless of genes, lifestyle changes can shift a lot of excess weight.
I’m not suggesting losing weight is easy. There are many reasons people struggle, ranging from a lack of guidance and poor childhood habits to emotional issues.
But I think far more needs to be done to address obesity earlier. We need to start with better education about healthy eating in schools and more exercise in the curriculum.
More primary care trusts should issue prescriptions for exercise and weight-loss groups such as WeightWatchers and Slimming World. These clubs tackle the cause of obesity, educating their members and giving them the support they need to change their behaviour.
The Medical Research Council has found that people referred to WeightWatchers lost 15lb in a year compared with 9lb for those who had just seen their doctor.
People see celebs who’ve lost lots of weight with a band and think it’s a magic bullet. It’s not. We need to tackle why people overeat in the first place – something surgery doesn’t do.
Via : mirror.co.uk
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