Make obese pay for operations says public

Obese patients undergoing surgery should help to pay for the operation to help them lose weight, according to half of people polled in a survey.

A third of 2,000 people surveyed said the NHS should not fund any weight loss surgery but half said it should be co-funded by patients and the NHS.

One in five said it was a “lazy way out” for people who did not want to diet or exercise.

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The survey for Spire Hospitals revealed wide levels of ignorance about obesity surgery.

Only half of those asked knew patients could no longer eat large portions after surgery.

Estimates suggest nearly half of men and more than a third of women could be obese in the UK by 2025.

But the surveyed showed four in five recognised obesity increased the risk of heart disease and fewer than 60 per cent knew it could lead to sleep and fertility problems and increase the risk of some types of cancer.

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NHS guidelines recommend weight loss surgery for dangerously obese patients with a body mass index of more than 40 amid claims the costs of surgery can be recouped within three years due to the reduced impact of complications caused by the condition.

More operations have been carried out in Yorkshire than anywhere else but there are fears that NHS officials across the country could impose restrictions as funding cuts begin to bite.

Jean-Jacques de Gorter, clinical director at Spire Healthcare, said: “It is very interesting that despite a growing need for it, attitudes towards weight loss surgery, and its place in tackling a health burden in the UK, are still very mixed, and this leads to very varied views on who exactly should be paying for it.

“It is clear from this survey that there is still a strong requirement for better and greater education about what these treatments involve and entail, and the benefits they might bring for not only the individual but in tackling a wider growing health issue.”

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