Rise in number of weight loss operations

 

 

 

 

Weight loss operations have soared by 50% in the last three years.

 

The major increase in the number of Scots having the surgery comes amid rising obesity figures. The Health Secretary hopes her strategy to tackle that will ultimately reduce the need for people to go under the knife.

 

The figures show the number of people having weight-loss surgery in Scotland has risen by 50 per-cent from three years ago.

 

At Glasgow University they're conducting a study into the long-term effects.

 

Dr Jennifer Logue from Glasgow University said: "The reason they've commissioned this research is because this is an increasingly common procedure within the NHS.

 

"The reasons for that are plainly because the amount of people that are obese and have obesity related complications is increasing dramatically within our population, but also because there has been evidence that has come out that has shown this is a very effective way of getting people's weight off and also reducing their obesity related complications at that time.

 

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "We're very focused on dealing with what is a rising problem of obesity.

 

"So we have in place strategies to encourage people to live more actively, to eat more healthily and these are the kind of things we're focusing on to reduce the levels of obesity in future years, and therefore reduce the need for weight loss surgery on the NHS.

 

With the latest numbers showing more than quarter of Scottish adults are now obese and two-thirds overweight it is likely in the coming years at least the surgical option will become even more commonplace. stv.tv