Fat-busting ops double

SURGEONS in Oldham are carrying out more than double the number of stomach-stapling operations on dangerously overweight patients than two years ago.

Thirteen Oldham residents went under the knife for obesity surgery in 2008/9 compared with six in 2006/7 according to a report from the NHS Information Centre.

The procedures are only recommended as a last resort for “morbidly obese” patients.

The operations cost up to £15,000 each and patients require lifelong monitoring for potential complications.

Alan Higgins, director of public health for Oldham, said: “We are concerned about the growing levels of obesity overall. It is particularly important that we tackle it among young children to prevent it from affecting their future health.

“We are currently developing a strategy to tackle childhood obesity in Oldham. There are already a wide range of schemes to encourage healthy eating, cooking and physical activity, which we hope will make a difference to lifestyles in the borough.

Additional figures show that 27 Oldham patients were admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of obesity, compared with 11 the previous year.

Nationally, the number of weight-loss operations carried out by the NHS more than doubled from 1,950 in 2006/7 to 4,220 in 2008/09.

The number of people admitted to hospital with obesity-related problems has also increased by nearly 60 per cent.

More than 1.28 million prescription items were also dispensed to treat obesity.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “There’s no doubt that levels of obesity in this country, as in the rest of the developed world, are far too high. That’s why we’re investing energy and money into preventing people from becoming obese in the first place.