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Should the NHS pay for weight loss surgery?

Hi all, I am currently in year 11 at the moment and I have just finished my GCSE English Speaking and Listening test this morning.

The topic I discussed is the one you see in the title.

During my speech I got heavily slated for criticising the governments methods of trying to discourage obesity.

One example of this is 'Change 4 Life' (You know those play doh people???). They tried to promote healthy meal planning and less sugar intake. They tried to target this at children and it just hasn't worked.

More understandably I got criticism from peers for suggesting the government employ scare tactics to make people lose weight. My closing point was that if those who are overweight/obese do not heed our warnings then we should let natural selection take the reins.

What do you think?

(P.S: I know that in the long term giving surgery is probably the most cost effective method. However the need for a high BMI to be eligible for surgery seems to create a perverse incentive for people to gain weight.)

I'm just interested to see if anyone agrees with me as I believe I am in a class with a bunch of snowflakes.

Thank you for reading. :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)

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Reply 1
You seem to think that surgery is some easy magical way to become size 8 overnight. It doesn't work that way.
Reply 2
There arguments on both sides, ideally you'd have a panel reviewing each case and deciding on that. Weight loss surgery can be the kickstart someone needs for a healthy life, others might just think its the easy way out and then fall back into the unhealthy lifestyle, it should be a panels choice to decide if someone would see long-term benefits from weight loss surgery.
Reply 3
Original post by Nottie
You seem to think that surgery is some easy magical way to become size 8 overnight. It doesn't work that way.


I would first like to say thank you for replying.

However it seems that I maybe not have worded my opinion on this very well. I am against surgery being free on the NHS.
Reply 4
Original post by Zxyn
There arguments on both sides, ideally you'd have a panel reviewing each case and deciding on that. Weight loss surgery can be the kickstart someone needs for a healthy life, others might just think its the easy way out and then fall back into the unhealthy lifestyle, it should be a panels choice to decide if someone would see long-term benefits from weight loss surgery.


This. I should've spoke about this.
Original post by MarcusEmery
Hi all, I am currently in year 11 at the moment and I have just finished my GCSE English Speaking and Listening test this morning.

The topic I discussed is the one you see in the title.

During my speech I got heavily slated for criticising the governments methods of trying to discourage obesity.

One example of this is 'Change 4 Life' (You know those play doh people???). They tried to promote healthy meal planning and less sugar intake. They tried to target this at children and it just hasn't worked.

More understandably I got criticism from peers for suggesting the government employ scare tactics to make people lose weight. My closing point was that if those who are overweight/obese do not heed our warnings then we should let natural selection take the reins.

What do you think?

(P.S: I know that in the long term giving surgery is probably the most cost effective method. However the need for a high BMI to be eligible for surgery seems to create a perverse incentive for people to gain weight.)

I'm just interested to see if anyone agrees with me as I believe I am in a class with a bunch of snowflakes.

Thank you for reading. :smile:


What I don't and never will comprehend is that individuals are feeding themselves. This means that the NHS should not be liable to reduce an individuals weight because the individual who wants surgery and other operations on the NHS should be wary enough of the calories and what they are consuming daily.

To make the NHS pay for your surgery and what have you fine. However it is not certain that one will remain strict with their diet goals therefore one will just be going round and round in circles. So why on earth should the NHS pay up? They certainly do not stuff food in an individuals mouth.

Personally I strongly believe that individuals should be paying up because I presume they like to take advantage of the 'free' treatment they are receiving on behalf of NHS.
Reply 6
Original post by MiszShortee786
What I don't and never will comprehend is that individuals are feeding themselves. This means that the NHS should not be liable to reduce an individuals weight because the individual who wants surgery and other operations on the NHS should be wary enough of the calories and what they are consuming daily.

To make the NHS pay for your surgery and what have you fine. However it is not certain that one will remain strict with their diet goals therefore one will just be going round and round in circles. So why on earth should the NHS pay up? They certainly do not stuff food in an individuals mouth.

Personally I strongly believe that individuals should be paying up because I presume they like to take advantage of the 'free' treatment they are receiving on behalf of NHS.



Yes. When I said one reason why people are obese is their lack of self control, I definitely stirred up so controversy aha.
Thing is, the 'right' approach depends on the parameters you set for yourself.

I'd say that the 'let natural selection take the reins' approach is pretty knee-jerk and short-sighted. Offering surgery may be expensive for the NHS, but the cost of treating the complications of obesity (type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, etc etc) is potentially much higher.
No, unless the weight problem is due to something like Hypothyroidism and not just stuffing their face with cake etc

Being fat (yes, I am using the word fat as thats what it is), the vast majority of times is down to the persons own fault, and can be solved by the person themselves through diet and exercise.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by MarcusEmery
I would first like to say thank you for replying.

However it seems that I maybe not have worded my opinion on this very well. I am against surgery being free on the NHS.


Yeah but you are against it because you think it might promote people to gain weight and just have surgery instead of going through diets etc.

I am telling you that having high BMI isn't the only criteria you need to meet. You have to show that you are willing to put in effort after the surgery and that you tried other methods before.
All the surgery does is make your stomach smaller. It helps you lose weight, but it doesn't do it for you. And like most things in medicine, it is used as a final option

Obese people usually have loads of other health complications. Not only their heart tends to be in poor condition, but they also are more likely to have diabetes (which then puts you at risk of all sorts of diseases and complications) and "dodgy" joints.
People with diabetes need medication for life (in most cases) and they get them completely free of charge. that also includes their other medications, such as drugs for their bad heart secondary to obesity.

Joints replacements are bloody expensive too. Not to mention all the risks associated with operating on morbidly obese people.

Furthermore, we now have a lot of obese people in their 20 and upwards. if they somehow manage to stay fertile and get pregnant you have a whole new human being put st risk of all sorts of metabolic diseases. That's another million of money for curing children with inborn errors secondary to poor in utero environment.

That list can go on and on and on. Financially speaking, its better to help obese people lose weight "for free" than deal with all other complications they may have.
Original post by *pitseleh*
Thing is, the 'right' approach depends on the parameters you set for yourself.

I'd say that the 'let natural selection take the reins' approach is pretty knee-jerk and short-sighted. Offering surgery may be expensive for the NHS, but the cost of treating the complications of obesity (type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, etc etc) is potentially much higher.


Yes, one of the only reasons why I referenced natural selection was just to go out with a bang and to encourage questions after my speech
I believe the reason why i offended so many of my peers is because kids my age take the NHS for granted.
Original post by MarcusEmery
I believe the reason why i offended so many of my peers is because kids my age take the NHS for granted.


and probably dont realise how its paid for. They may change their mind when its their taxes funding it (Im all for the NHS btw)
Original post by MarcusEmery
Yes, one of the only reasons why I referenced natural selection was just to go out with a bang and to encourage questions after my speech

I see you've updated your OP to say that you are aware of health economics after all.

What is your actual objection to people having weight-loss surgery funded by the NHS? As Nottie says, BMI isn't the only criterion, so the suggestion that people would be encouraged to gain weight in order to qualify for surgery doesn't hold water (even if that were anything more than conjecture, which it isn't).
I'd agree with you unless it's a cause of a condition that causes them to be that way but for those looking for the surgery it's going to be a very small percentage of those that are that way due to illness, as you've said the NHS has given people all the information they need to make informed choices on the type of lifestyle and diet that they have if they chose to continue to the point where they are wanting surgery to try reverse their bad choices I don't see why tax payers money should go towards people who've decided that they are going to keep that unhealthy lifestyle or diet the it's likely just a waste of money and they'll turn round and not change their actions, if someone wants it that bad they'll work for it
Original post by *pitseleh*
I see you've updated your OP to say that you are aware of health economics after all.

What is your actual objection to people having weight-loss surgery funded by the NHS? As Nottie says, BMI isn't the only criterion, so the suggestion that people would be encouraged to gain weight in order to qualify for surgery doesn't hold water (even if that were anything more than conjecture, which it isn't).


If I am to be totally honest, I have no opinion as it doesn't affect me yet. I just wanted to see if the criticism I received was warranted or not.
Reply 16
Original post by MiszShortee786
What I don't and never will comprehend is that individuals are feeding themselves. This means that the NHS should not be liable to reduce an individuals weight because the individual who wants surgery and other operations on the NHS should be wary enough of the calories and what they are consuming daily.

To make the NHS pay for your surgery and what have you fine. However it is not certain that one will remain strict with their diet goals therefore one will just be going round and round in circles. So why on earth should the NHS pay up? They certainly do not stuff food in an individuals mouth.

Personally I strongly believe that individuals should be paying up because I presume they like to take advantage of the 'free' treatment they are receiving on behalf of NHS.


Okay what about people who love say motorbikes and then get a serious accident and require a lot of medical input?
Everyone knows motorbikes are dangerous and can cause injuries so why should the NHS pay for people's reckless choices? If they read books instead they wouldn't need ortohopaedic surgeries.

Or people who don't feel like having sex with a condom and then come for abortion? It doesn't take that much time to put a bit of latex on and is definitely cheaper than termination (not to mention the money spend on dealing with termination consequences such as bleeding or retained products)


Your way of thinking can be extrapolated to many other medical conditions and treatments. If we started to treat people based on whatever or not they knew what can happen to them we will soon end up only treating children as they tend to have inborn conditions that aren't their fault (but then maybe if their mum got that weight loss surgery they wouldn't have to deal with diabetes at the age of 4)
Original post by MiszShortee786
What I don't and never will comprehend is that individuals are feeding themselves. This means that the NHS should not be liable to reduce an individuals weight because the individual who wants surgery and other operations on the NHS should be wary enough of the calories and what they are consuming daily.

To make the NHS pay for your surgery and what have you fine. However it is not certain that one will remain strict with their diet goals therefore one will just be going round and round in circles. So why on earth should the NHS pay up? They certainly do not stuff food in an individuals mouth.

Personally I strongly believe that individuals should be paying up because I presume they like to take advantage of the 'free' treatment they are receiving on behalf of NHS.


You don't and never will comprehend because you're not a very broad-minded or undersatnding person. Some people are more vulnerable to addictions than others. Food can be abused and become addictive and comfort eating can be a way some poeple react to grief, emotional trauma etc. Then there are people who are predisposed to putting on weight genetically and racially. Black poeple are more likely to be overweight for example.

Also, should the nhs not treat smoking related illnesses, or alcohol related illnesses? After all they are putting the cigarette in their own mouth and drinking themlseves. And they should know those things are bad, so maybe they will just carry on doing those things. It would be ugly to react that way and not treat people, it's better to educate about the risks involved and try to get people support groups to help with unhealthy addictive behaviour. Weight loss surgery could be the thing they need to keep the weight off for good.
Original post by Nottie
Okay what about people who love say motorbikes and then get a serious accident and require a lot of medical input?
Everyone knows motorbikes are dangerous and can cause injuries so why should the NHS pay for people's reckless choices? If they read books instead they wouldn't need ortohopaedic surgeries.

Or people who don't feel like having sex with a condom and then come for abortion? It doesn't take that much time to put a bit of latex on and is definitely cheaper than termination (not to mention the money spend on dealing with termination consequences such as bleeding or retained products)


Your way of thinking can be extrapolated to many other medical conditions and treatments. If we started to treat people based on whatever or not they knew what can happen to them we will soon end up only treating children as they tend to have inborn conditions that aren't their fault (but then maybe if their mum got that weight loss surgery they wouldn't have to deal with diabetes at the age of 4)


Sorry, I should have been clearer. I meant those individuals that are obese by their own choice These individuals should not be treated. The element to note here is that individuals do things upon choice. They have a choice on whether to put food in their mouth and therefore not being active which would then lead them to obesity as a factor.

At the end of the day, it is all dependent upon the individual itself. They choose an unhealthy lifestyle so why on earth should the NHS pay up?

I am specifically targeting these individuals that said I do not have anything against them either.
Does anyone think that a 'rehab' style program should be funded for people who you could say are 'addicted' to food? Do you think that could be a viable alternative?

Just to be clear - I have no idea what rehab is like, but I am thinking that this environment should not be one that shames.

Or do you think that maybe it's not viable due to there being too many obese/overweight people and thus it would be too costly and ineffective. I am interested to hear people's thoughts.

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