NHS chiefs have banned mums-to-be from giving birth at their hospital if they weigh too much.  Women wanting to have babies at Weston General Hospital in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, are required to have their body mass index (BMI) calculated. Anyone with a BMI figure of over 34 will be turned away and made to travel 20 miles to a more fully-equipped maternity unit in Bristol.

BMI is a formula based on height and weight. A reading of 34 is equivalent to a 5ft 6in woman weighing 15 stone.

Those wishing for a healthier lifestyle before planning a pregnancy may wish to consider weight loss surgery with The Hospital Group.  The Hospital Group is the UK’s biggest provider of weight loss surgery and has seen a 73.9% increase, with a staggering 12,848 people seeking surgery in 2008. In 2007, 7,385 people enquired into gastric procedures.

The surgery, including gastric bands, gastric bypasses and gastric balloons can be used alongside liposculpture – also known as liposuction – and abdominoplasty – the common tummy tuck – to sculpt and perfect your body and give you a healthier lifestyle.

Such is the interest in The Hospital Group’s weight loss procedures, bookings have increased to levels above that of the NHS. While the NHS reported that it had performed 2,724 weight-loss operations in 2008, The Hospital Group performed a total of 3,015 gastric procedures in the same period.

The Hospital Group is committed to providing the very highest standards and all procedures are performed by an expert medical team in state-of-the-art facilities that are second to none.

Half of Britain’s obese are seriously damaging their wealth prospects as well as their health, a new study has revealed.  Around 3.4 million obese Britons bring in an annual income below the national average, if those surveyed are typical of the wider population.  Of the 2,056 adults questioned by YouGov, 46% had a personal income under £20,000.*

The research for the UK’s leading obesity surgery experts, The Hospital Group, found that along with earning less, obese Britons – those with a Body Mass Index above 30 – were suffering the real cost of obesity in every area of their lives. And, such is the scale of the problem, this ‘tipping point’ into a poorer life starts at just 18 stone.**

The research, part of the Real Cost of Obesity report commissioned to coincide with National Obesity Week (2-8 Nov), also showed:

• Nearly half (45 per cent) admitted their weight prevented them playing with their children, with kickabouts in the park, swapping clothes with their teenagers and enjoying rollercoaster rides ranking as key disappointments. †
• Almost a quarter (22 per cent) admitted their children or family had hinted at embarrassment or concern about their weight. †
• The 30 respondents questioned who ranked as severely obese spend nearly 60 per cent more on their personal weekly food shop than those with a ‘normal’ BMI (£39.40, compared to £61.70)***, according to mysupermarket.co.uk – enough to feed almost three people. ∆
• One in ten obese people admitted their weight has held them back in their career. ∆

Leading dietitian and Head of Weight Management Services at The Hospital Group, Cirian Marie-Beddoes, said: “If we don’t start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to live their lives fully.  “The Real Cost of Obesity report has shown just that – already the obese in Britain are suffering in their careers, family life and health.”

Beddoes added: “At The Hospital Group, we regularly see people for weight loss surgery at about 18 stone. Of course, everyone has a tipping point regardless of weight – which has a great deal to do with psychology. When the patient has reached the stage where it is more painful for them to move forwards and lose weight than stay as they are, that’s when their life will begin to take that downwards turn.”

Researchers also found that a lack of awareness wasn’t necessarily the problem, with 49 per cent blaming their poor diet and 63 per cent a lack of exercise. Also cited were stress and being too busy to do anything about it. †

A full breakdown of the research conducted by You Gov is discussed in the Real Cost of Obesity report, to follow.

Ends

References

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2056 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 5^th-7^th October 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

OnePoll questioned 4000 adults between 19-21 October 2009.  The survey was carried out online and the panel used was aged 16+ and nationally representative.

*http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/AA2009/AA09Webversion.pdf

Office of National Statistics suggest average personal income is £20,299.57

46% of the obese and severely obese respondents questioned earn less than £20,000 – which is the equivalent of 7% of the population (i.e. 45% of 314 = 146/200=0.007)

Meaning if those surveyed are typical of the wider population:

0.07 x 49,106,400 = 3,437,448

** The Hospital Group records.

***Participants were asked to estimate how much they spent weekly on groceries just for themselves, not their household.

†One Poll

∆ You Gov