'Strong reasons' for revising obesity surgery criteria
The Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) says there are 'strong reasons' for reviewing the criteria for weight-loss surgery eligibility.
It is thought 60,000 people in Wales have a body mass index of 40 or more. The healthy range is 18.5 - 24.9.
Bariatric surgery is a clinically and cost-effective specialised service for the treatment of morbid obesity.
There are strong reasons for revising the current access criteria and considering an increase in commissioning activity.
However, the majority of individuals seeking help to address problems of obesity will require non-surgical management, with bariatric surgery reserved for a small number of carefully selected cases.
– Stephen Harrhy, interim director of WHSSC
Health regulator NICE recommends people with a BMI of 40 or more, or those with a BMI of 35-40 who also have another significant disease, should have access to bariatric surgery.
NICE also says bariatric surgery should be considered as a first-line treatment option for adults with a BMI of 50 plus.
Weight-loss surgery 'could rise from 80 to 300 per year'
It is estimated that 6% of Wales' population is severely or morbidly obese, with a BMI of 35 or more Credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire/Press Association Images
More obese patients in Wales could have access to weight-loss surgery under plans being considered by health boards.
The Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) has agreed to review who meets the criteria for bariatric - or weight-loss - surgery, which could broaden the range of patients eligible.
The number of bariatric surgical procedures in Wales could rise from 80 to 300 per year, over the next five years, following recommendations.
Bariatric procedures can include gastric bypass, a gastric band and vertical banded gastroplasty.
Figures suggest an estimated 180,000 people in Wales – 6% of the population – are severely or morbidly obese.
A cafe in Cardiff sells this £17 breakfast meal - with eight sausages, eight rashers of bacon, six eggs, four beefburgers, hash browns, black pudding, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried potatoes, omelettes, toast and four slices of buttered bread.
The owners say it's only a gimmick - but should the Welsh Government be looking into limiting portion sizes?
The people we spoke to, who were eating in the cafe, said tackling the obesity problem was instead down to education - and particularly down to parents at home.
Chief Medical Officer: Urgent action needed on obesity
The Chief Medical Officer for Wales is warning that action is needed to prevent obesity reaching 'epidemic proportions' here.
She is encouraging the public to take part in a Welsh Government consultation about whether or not fizzy drinks and food portions should be regulated in an effort to tackle the issue.
You can read more about the consultation and have your say on whether legislation would help reduce obesity rates by visiting the Welsh Government website.
We know that the ability to feed a family is driven by the price and availability of food and we know that many of the products high in sugar and salt are the cheaper products. There is no quick way in which we can turn that around but we do need to raise awareness of this and find alternative approaches.
Whilst I would hope any health improvements could be made voluntarily the law has a role in influencing the choices that we are making. I think the Public Health Bill is an opportunity to look at how we can do this.
Obesity leads to serious health problems, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.
We need to look at ways in which we can prevent obesity reaching epidemic proportions in Wales.
We are actively encouraging debate around health legislation as part of the current Public Health Green Paper Big Health Debate.
Top doctor joins Government consultation on obesity
Regulating portion sizes could have a significant impact on our health, according to Wales' Chief Medical Officer Credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire
The Welsh Government is asking whether new legislation should be introduced to address major health challenges like obesity.
According to figures from the latest Welsh Health Survey, over half of adults and 35% of all children are overweight or obese.
Wales' Chief Medical officer Dr Ruth Hussey says regulating food portions and the size of fizzy drinks could have a real impact on tackling rising obesity rates.
She says forcing cafés and takeaways to detail calorie counts on menus could also help tackle the problem.
You can read more about the consultation and have your say on whether legislation would help reduce obesity rates by visiting the Welsh Government website.
The advert forms the centrepiece of a campaign which aims to encourage the public to manage the amount of salt, fat and sugar in their diet.
The Change4Life adverts, which are made by Aardman, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, have joined forces with a range of food manufacturers and ITV to host the first ever health-focussed ad break during Coronation Street.
