An interesting statistic came to light today; the amount of people having weight loss surgery has gone up 10 times. By weight loss surgery, this means a gastic band, or something else to help people restrict their diets.
I feel the number of people posting on message boards, newspaper articles and the like are very short sighted. Out of 100 messages, 95 would contain something similar to the following:
"Perhaps a diet sheet would be a better option? Very few of these fat people have any 'issues' apart from eating to much and being lazy. If they want to sit on their backsides al day eating big macs then so be it, I have no problem with that, but I do have a bit of a problem with them taking up so much NHS resources on a condition that is self inflicted and could very easily be solved."
Now the reason this is short sighted is what makes this any different to smoking? To alcohol abuse? To drug abuse? If someone is injured in a sporting incident, was this self inflicted?
I don't disagree with the use of a diet. Taking ownership of your problem instead of a quick fix solution will ensure they probably keep the weight off for life. If you know how hard it is to lose, you are less likely to put it on. But branding everyone who is fat as 'lazy' is just crazy. Eating too much doesn't make you lazy. People who exercise lots, but eat too much will be overweight. It doesn't mean they are lazy. It doesn't mean they are unfit either.
Being fat is just that. Nothing more, nothing less. Should the NHS pay? Perhaps not. If someones live is saved or turned around for the better, and they can make substantial use of it for the rest of their life I see no problem in it whatsoever.
Paying to solve what could turn into a crisis across the country now for a few thousand people will ultimately save the NHS money in the long run, and that has to be a good thing.
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