Latest News
Adult diseases target children
Unhealthy eating: cheaper way out?
Reduced PE blamed for child obesity
Bariatric surgery cuts cancer risks
Modern lifestyle: A Destruction of evolution
Surgery cost reduces popularity
Surgery cost reduces popularity
Bariatric surgery is becoming increasingly popular with both doctors and patients but in some cases is sidelined due to its cost.
Surgery can cost up to £15,000 and does require some expenditure on follow-up care and treatment. The government does not provide financial support for all people who undergo bariatric surgery.
Mrs. Anne Tarwe, who has a BMI of 40 says, “I thought Belgium would be cheaper and so I went to the Ghent University Hospital and got my treatment done but then I could not afford surgery. I would like very much to have surgery but then I cannot pay for it and the government is picky and choosy about whom they help.”
There are also restrictions on who is eligible for surgery.
Director of the National Obesity Forum, GP David Haslam says, “Surgery eligibility depends related conditions one may have and whether you have been fully assessed by a multi-disciplinary team before being considered. Generally, a person with a BMI of 40 or someone with a BMI over 35 with diabetes or sleep apnoea will be considered.”
Though surgery is the current trend in treating obesity, Consultant Endocrinologist University College London and Hon. Professor, Dept Medicine UCL, Professor Nick Finer says “I am mildly optimistic that in say 20 years the golden standard will be better combination of drugs which will be more effective to help people with severe obesity and not require surgery.”