Diet? Not when a gastric balloon will get weight off faster

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Diet? Not when a gastric balloon will get weight off faster

Radical ways to fight obesity are on the increase, as more people

choose surgery instead of eating less

By Tom

Published: 01 January 2006

For millions it is as much a part of the festive season as the mince

pies and the hangovers. But for some the January diet is being

shunned this year as weary revellers choose radical new cosmetic

surgery techniques to battle their bulges.

So out go the Atkins and the F-Plan as those desperate to fight the

flab look instead to gastric balloon insertions and lap band

tightening. Keyhole surgery and non-invasive procedures have

revolutionised the world of cosmetic medicine, and Britons are now

abandoning the old-fashioned approach to weight-loss.

Last year, the number of overweight people choosing to slim

surgically rocketed by 60 per cent, according to one leading clinic.

Medics expect that this year will see an even greater number of

slimmers willing to take such drastic action.

" There has been a huge increase in surgery, " said Janet Edmond, of

the British Obesity Surgery Patients' Association. " We expect it to

double next year as well. "

Obesity in Britain has quadrupled in the past 25 years. Three-

quarters of the UK population is overweight and one-fifth is now

classified as obese. Operations to deal with clinical obesity are on

the increase within both the NHS, and the private sector. Transform

Medical Group revealed that thousands were signing up for its

procedures. These include the insertion of an inflatable balloon in

the stomach that restricts the amount of food a person can eat.

One of those desperate for positive results is Emma Wade, a 19-year-

old medical student, who has had a gastric balloon pushed down her

throat to her stomach. She payed £6,000 to have the silicone bag

inserted. It was then filled with a saline solution. Since the

operation two months ago, her weight has dropped from 17.5 to 15.5

stone. However, the big test will come when the balloon is removed

in two months' time.

Other obesity operations are for life. Gastric banding accounts for

more than half of all operations for obesity and it sees a permanent

adjustable band inserted under the skin and around the stomach at a

cost of £6,830.

The effect is similar to that of the balloon. The more established

gastric bypass, meanwhile, shortens the intestine surgically so food

bypasses most of the stomach. It costs £10,400.

The non-invasive nature of the balloon is thought to appeal to those

who might balk at the idea of liposuction or a gastric bypass.

However, Dr Haslam, from the National Obesity Forum

warned: " The artificial balloon technique is not gentle on the

stomach. The NHS doesn't use it. "

Case Study: 'I'm determined this will work'

Emma Wade, 19, works as a sales adviser while studying to be a

doctor. She paid £5,995 to have a gastric balloon inserted in her

stomach at the Transform clinic in Harley Street, London, last

October. She has lost two stone.

" I was always really chubby as a child. I'm a comfort eater. I've

tried dieting but it never worked. I went to a surgery clinic and

just asked 'what can you do for me?' I chatted to a consultant and

agreed to have it done. It was as simple as that. When I first

decided to have it done my boyfriend didn't agree with me because of

the price - £5,995 is quite a lot for a balloon. When I got there I

was put under general anaesthetic and afterwards the clinic told me

the procedure took under seven minutes. I was able to leave that

night. It was weird to have a foreign body in my stomach. The clinic

gave me a dietician and she has been brilliant. The problem is that

you can't eat any fat because if you do your body rejects it. You

have to eat little and often. I have experienced some pain in my

stomach. Part of the problem is that I work in a call centre as well

as being a full-time student, so I'm quite stressed. The balloon

comes out in April, and I'm really looking forward to it. I am

determined that this will work. "

For millions it is as much a part of the festive season as the mince

pies and the hangovers. But for some the January diet is being

shunned this year as weary revellers choose radical new cosmetic

surgery techniques to battle their bulges.

So out go the Atkins and the F-Plan as those desperate to fight the

flab look instead to gastric balloon insertions and lap band

tightening. Keyhole surgery and non-invasive procedures have

revolutionised the world of cosmetic medicine, and Britons are now

abandoning the old-fashioned approach to weight-loss.

Last year, the number of overweight people choosing to slim

surgically rocketed by 60 per cent, according to one leading clinic.

Medics expect that this year will see an even greater number of

slimmers willing to take such drastic action.

" There has been a huge increase in surgery, " said Janet Edmond, of

the British Obesity Surgery Patients' Association. " We expect it to

double next year as well. "

Obesity in Britain has quadrupled in the past 25 years. Three-

quarters of the UK population is overweight and one-fifth is now

classified as obese. Operations to deal with clinical obesity are on

the increase within both the NHS, and the private sector. Transform

Medical Group revealed that thousands were signing up for its

procedures. These include the insertion of an inflatable balloon in

the stomach that restricts the amount of food a person can eat.

One of those desperate for positive results is Emma Wade, a 19-year-

old medical student, who has had a gastric balloon pushed down her

throat to her stomach. She payed £6,000 to have the silicone bag

inserted. It was then filled with a saline solution. Since the

operation two months ago, her weight has dropped from 17.5 to 15.5

stone. However, the big test will come when the balloon is removed

in two months' time.

Other obesity operations are for life. Gastric banding accounts for

more than half of all operations for obesity and it sees a permanent

adjustable band inserted under the skin and around the stomach at a

cost of £6,830.

The effect is similar to that of the balloon. The more established

gastric bypass, meanwhile, shortens the intestine surgically so food

bypasses most of the stomach. It costs £10,400.

The non-invasive nature of the balloon is thought to appeal to those

who might balk at the idea of liposuction or a gastric bypass.

However, Dr Haslam, from the National Obesity Forum

warned: " The artificial balloon technique is not gentle on the

stomach. The NHS doesn't use it. "

Case Study: 'I'm determined this will work'

Emma Wade, 19, works as a sales adviser while studying to be a

doctor. She paid £5,995 to have a gastric balloon inserted in her

stomach at the Transform clinic in Harley Street, London, last

October. She has lost two stone.

" I was always really chubby as a child. I'm a comfort eater. I've

tried dieting but it never worked. I went to a surgery clinic and

just asked 'what can you do for me?' I chatted to a consultant and

agreed to have it done. It was as simple as that. When I first

decided to have it done my boyfriend didn't agree with me because of

the price - £5,995 is quite a lot for a balloon. When I got there I

was put under general anaesthetic and afterwards the clinic told me

the procedure took under seven minutes. I was able to leave that

night. It was weird to have a foreign body in my stomach. The clinic

gave me a dietician and she has been brilliant. The problem is that

you can't eat any fat because if you do your body rejects it. You

have to eat little and often. I have experienced some pain in my

stomach. Part of the problem is that I work in a call centre as well

as being a full-time student, so I'm quite stressed. The balloon

comes out in April, and I'm really looking forward to it. I am

determined that this will work. "