WLS in News again this morning

[Fat Again]

Im fuming !

I've heard on the radio this morning that WLS is now the answer to the obesity problem in this country as it would save the NHS a fortune with health complications due to obesity and it would reduce the costs of benefits for the government.

To me they are implying that all obese people are on benefits, how dare they. I've worked everyday since I was 16, even at my heaviest of 30 stone I went to work everyday, crippled and bleeding !!!!!

Here's the link for the BBC : BBC News - More obesity surgery 'could save millions of pounds'

 

[AnnieT]

Hi, I've read the article and a number of others circulating and it makes some good points. Not everyone is like you and I for many their weight is a barrier to leading a full and productive life.

Where the article would do better is to demonstrate what losses there are to the ecomomy from people who do not work due to back pain and other conditions that prevent them from working. This amount would far outweigh (no pun intended) the impact that obesity is having on society.

Sadly being overweight carries with it a great deal of discrimination from the very people and services set up to help and support us in our recovery. This is an illness and no individual or organisation has the right to judge, punish or limit our right to treatment.

Put simply, there is a possible cure available that will allow each of us to fulfill our potential. It does not matter how we arrived at this point, only that we are treated with the same dignity and respect that should be afforded to anyone presenting for treatment where their life and life expectancy is compromised.

We have a long way to go before society in general realises that overweight people are people nonetheless and the inhuman impact of societal discrimination serves only to demonstrate that for some people their behaviour and attitudes are so entrenched that they will never change. These will be the very same people who have learnt to hide all other forms of their discrimination but who have yet to learn that any discrimination is wrong.

Yes there will be an increase in the number of man hours gained in the economy, this is the case for every treatment delivered by the NHS. This does not mean that people are sitting at home waiting for a solution, it is merely a reflection of the fact that as health improves so does economic productivity.

Please don't take on board the skewed views of the largely uninformed, instead, be assured that slowly the tide is turning. Bullying and discrimination in all it's forms is wrong, slowly there are those emerging behind the scenes who are championing the cause of people like us to ensure that we get the care and support we need.

Well done on your fabulous weight loss by the way. xxxx

 

[jaynefrances]

There are so many articles these days about wls, some for and some against. Everyones perspective is different and i like you, have always worked and never drawn benefits.
However, as a social worker for adults with disabilities i have assessed many people and commissioned care support for many people who's disabilities are purely weight related. Some are immobile due to their size, joint damage or weight related heart disease and some care packages cost hundreds of pounds per week, so i can definitely see how as well as saving the NHS /PCT's money, wls also saves local councils money. Plus, those that are so incapacitated will be on DLA / incapacity benefits.
Whilst i was not one of those who became a "drain" on resources (okay i had a little bit from the NHS / PCT due to hypertension) i fully accept that without wls it was just a question of time before i became one.
Personally, i think the more press articles supporting the view that wls is worthwhile and cost effective the better as it may influence societies views and increase funding. Its just unfortunate that they sometimes phrase their articles unsympathetically.