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Alison Levinson: Food for Thought


Published on Tuesday 31 August 2010 10:49

Nutrition expert Alison Levinson on cutting out weight loss surgery.

There's yet more in the papers this week about the UK's obesity 'epidemic' - as if obesity is something you can catch!

Apparently, despite all the publicity and government initiatives to get the message across, over a quarter of adults are obese and this is expected to grow to half in the next ten years.

The number of operations such as gastric bypasses, stomach stapling and fitting gastric bands has increased to ten times what it was seven years ago, costing the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds.

People are asking if this is an appropriate way to spend money when end of life cancer drugs are being refused to desperate patients.

Some defend obesity surgery by pointing out that, in the long run, morbidly obese patients cost the NHS more if they don't have these operations because of the serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease they often develop.

This is true, but surgery is a drastic and hazardous short cut. It's often irreversible and can leave people unable to ever eat normally or enjoy food again. In my view, it should be the last resort.

I understand that it's very difficult for seriously obese people to lose weight and keep it off but with real commitment and the right guidance it is possible.

It takes time and requires individualised treatment. I have had many clients who have been told to lose weight by their doctors but have not been given much practical help to do so I suspect because many doctors don't have enough time to spend with their patients.

Perhaps we should spend more money on giving doctors the time to be able to help obese patients to help themselves, and less on sending them under the knife. What do you think?

Leave your comments below and visit Alison's website at www.alisonlevinson.co.uk


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