To be fair a lot of people on this board are here because it *IS* working for them, they *are* losing weight. I'm sure many of us have had times where no matter what they do, no matter how hard we try it just isn't working - it can get to be so bad people want to end their lives. There are many people out there for whom even tackling it as far as getting onto a weight loss forum is just so far away its not even a consideration.
Lots of people don't or can't lose weight for many reasons - we don't really know much about this man and what he's tried, what support he has or hasn't had. It may well be true that he could lose weight with the right support - or it may not. We all made ourselves fat, but there is always a reason for that and I don't think pointing fingers of blame is in anyone's interest.
Regarding cost, from the point of view of the NHS the purpose of weight loss surgery (and whether any particular patient is suitable) is that it *reduces* the long term cost to the health service (and to other social services). In simple terms the less overweight you are the less the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, hypertension), respiratory disease, diabetes, mobility issues, and many, many others. It also means you're more likely to be able to go to work so not claim unemployment benefit/disability living allowance/carers allowance/housing benefit etc (which I am guessing this man is, as his wife has to help him wash and dress). If you're not going to work you're not paying any income tax/NI into the system either. In the long run it is *far* cheaper for the government to pay to help you lose weight than it is to pay to look after you if you don't.
But it does depend on the patient - you've got to *want* to lose it and keep it off. Weight loss surgery isn't the 'easy' way out - I looked into it but concluded I could never go through it myself, the life you have to live afterwards is not pleasant. I don't know if this man would be suitable or not, none of us know him, there might be many reasons to turn him down other than the (relatively small) cost of weight loss surgery.
It's true there isn't 'enough' money going into the NHS, but that's not because it spends too much, it's because we've cut (relatively) its budget because we've bailed out the banks - that doesn't mean we 'can't afford' it, it means the government needs to get its priorities right - but that's another discussion and probably not one for this board
Even if this *was* about saving money the point in weight loss surgery *is* an economic one - far, far cheaper than the immense cost of looking after the medical and social expenses of sick people who can't work so need benefits and don't pay taxes.
Just because we're here having made a relative success of losing weight (so far...) isn't a reason to boast or insist others "can" do the same. (This isn't aimed at anyone in particular btw, before anyone misinterprets it, it's hard to express yourself easily in text-speak
) Just feels a bit like this thread is attacking someone very similar to all of us without knowing anything much about him.
Please nobody take offence, peace and love all around x
![Kellie=]](/data/avatars/s/5/5295.jpg?1447101021){kind=avatar}