Should surgery for fatties be paid for by he NHS?

[R1Geezer]

At the moment, in theory at least if BMI is > 40 then they should, but they aren't apparently. Anyway is this something that the NHS should pay for at all:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yjmtd64
I tend to think that BMI is a poor indicator anyway, I mean on BMI most top rugby players are clinically obese so clearly that's b0llux!

[Mustardmit]

As I read the title of this post I thought "Hmm, wonder who this is -R1 Geezer?"
What a surprise, it seems as if you'll never be happy unless this country if filled with perfect blond haired, slim, law abiding, non-leftie, non foreign, non muslim, non dole-scrounging R1 Geezer clones.
(Uh oh, here comes another bile and hate loaded response)
Love and peace to you.
MM

[jake-the-peg]

Is it different to
Cancer treatment for smokers
Liver treatment for drinkers
Surgery for racing drivers
setting broken legs for skiiers?

In fact anybody who does not sit alone and wrap themselves in cotton wool?

The whole principal of the NHS is that it's based on need - I know you love making moral judgements on other people, but when you start asking doctors to do that you enter a whole world of pain

[China Doll]

It's probaby wrong that my immediate thought was '...if I can just get my BMI to 40 then I can just have surgery and not worry about the extra christmas weight I gained'... I still think it's a good idea in theory.

[craft1948]

Maybe I've got the concept of the NHS wrong..........
I started paying tax and NI when I was 16 until I was 58 (I'm still taxed as a pensioner).....I was already a smoker but that in the 1960's was the norm.......I certainly drink more now than when I was younger as I was a keen sportswoman........I'm not worrying about the obesity factor ...YET.
The only time I've been hospitalised was due to a sports injury......am I in a credit or debit situation?

[jake-the-peg]

If you're in credit craft be thankful

The NHS spends most on people in their last year of life

[R1Geezer]

Mustardmint, I'm only asking the question, not giving an opinion. You are newish here so you won't be aware that I struggle constantly with weight issues and as such pretty much starve constantly and live in the gym. This is common knowledge and has come up from time to time. I don't think I fit your parameters for perfection. Personally I accept that extreme cases need surgery to save their lives and I'm happy for that to go ahead. For my own part I try to keep it down by "eat less, move more". Jake I agree if we ruled out all self inflicted conditions then there'd be nobody left.

[Old_Geezer]

It is a question of priorities and budget. If spending £x now on an overweight person prevents future ill health and a cost of £10x to the NHS budget later, then it would be churlish to dismiss it.

[David Black]

Let them starve first?

[Mustardmit]

Point taken - I apologise for my presumptiveness.

[rov1200]

As a respondent said on the radio recently there are no fat people in Ethiopia or those who survived in Belsen. Gluttony should not be paid for by the NHS.

[craft1948]

But if I become obese in 5 years time and require NHS treatment.....why should I be refused it given that I've paid into the system all my life...........as opposed to someone who is not fat but requires treatment and has never paid in anything?

[Sqad]

rov....fine.....either send them to Ethiopia or set up concentration camps.

Overweight MAY be due to gluttony and lifestyle, but the cause of "Morbidly Overweight" is more difficult to define.

Overweight MAY respond to diet, exercise ect, but Morbidly Overweight will NOT.

[society]

"But if I become obese in 5 years time and require NHS treatment.....why should I be refused it given that I've paid into the system all my life...........as opposed to someone who is not fat but requires treatment and has never paid in anything? "

very debatable point Crafty, life is not fair.