17th June 2009

AGAINST ALL ODDS, MICHELLE CELEBRATES THE MIRACLE BIRTH OF BABY AJ.

To find out more about Michelle's amazing story, click on a link below to read one of the featured articles:

Daily Mail
Woman becomes first in UK to give birth after extreme double surgery for weight-loss

Express
How I lost 15 Stone so that I could have my dream baby boy

The Sun
Miracle baby for extreme slimmer mum

The Mirror
Miracle of the gastric band baby

Telegraph
Woman gives birth after losing 15 stone through gastric band
 

Birmingham Mail
Extreme slimmer give birth to baby AJ

1st June 2009

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY GROUP CALLS FOR PREGNANCY FOCUS

GPs and patients do not have access to ample information about pregnancy after bariatric treatment, despite the fact that a staggering 80 per cent of weight loss surgery patients last year were women. *

The Weight Loss Surgery Group (WLS) has spoken about the lack of support for specialist post-operative care in response to the increasing numbers of its patients who have fallen pregnant after dramatic weight loss.

Although obesity is a major contributing factor to infertility* and it is recognised that weight loss surgery improves the ability to conceive, * medical practitioners are not being fully equipped with the support and information they need to effectively advise these patients on antenatal issues.

To help GPs and bariatric patients, WLS has launched a unique 12-month Antenatal Bariatric Surgery Support Programme to educate and support patients who have become pregnant after weight loss surgery, with monthly reviews and advice sessions on all aspects of pregnancy within the context of their weight loss procedures. WLS hopes this programme, which offers nutritional information, Gastric Band adjustments and labour advice, will become a tool which GPs can utilise.

WLS has also produced a free of charge, informative leaflet, available for GPs and patients alike to download at www.wlsgroup.co.uk/pregnancy.php. The booklet provides practical antenatal advice and information for GPs and women who have had bariatric surgery, to dispel myths and give essential nutritional guidance.

Michelle Bowater, managing director of WLS, had weight loss surgery. After losing an incredible 15 stone, her PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), a symptom of obesity, was alleviated and has just given birth to her first baby.

She said: “The WLS programme, as the only thing of its kind, aims to be helpful and informative, not only giving essential advice, but also providing a crucial support system for bariatric patients. We hope that in time it will be something GPs can refer their patients to. Having bariatric surgery means you absorb fewer nutrients than you would normally, so correct aftercare is vital and I would certainly urge professional GPs to download the free advice leaflet to gain basic knowledge about it.

“As a weight loss surgery patient, I was thrilled to find out I was pregnant but overwhelmed at the lack of information available to me about pregnancy after weight loss surgery. I realised that this must be the case for hundreds of women across the country and so WLS is taking the lead by putting together a comprehensive support programme.”

To find out more about the Weight Loss Surgery Group and its 12-month antenatal programme, visit www.wlsgroup.co.uk.
 

18th May 2009

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY GROUP LEADS BABY BOOM

One of the major reasons for infertility is excess weight and obesity. Some 80 per cent* of cases of bariatric treatment for obese people were women last year, but despite this, GPs and patients do not have access to ample information about post-operative antenatal care.

One provider, the Weight Loss Surgery Group (WLS), has recently announced a baby boom among women who have undergone bariatric surgery, with increasing numbers of patients expecting after dramatic weight loss.

As WLS’ managing director, Michelle Bowater, prepares to give birth to a baby this week following weight loss surgery, the company is launching a pregnancy support programme to provide its patients with the advice they are struggling to find elsewhere. A free of charge, informative leaflet, available to download at www.wlsgroup.co.uk/pregnancy.php, provides practical antenatal information for women who have had bariatric surgery, to dispel myths and give essential nutritional guidance.

Michelle suffered from PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), a symptom of obesity, prior to surgery. This was alleviated when she lost an incredible 15 stone after her weight loss procedure. Michelle was surprised at the lack of information available to expectant mums who have undergone weight loss surgery.

She said: “I was thrilled to find out I was pregnant but overwhelmed at the lack of information available to me about pregnancy after weight loss surgery. I realised that this must be the case for hundreds of women across the country and so WLS is taking the lead by putting together a comprehensive support programme.”

“Having a Gastric Bypass means you absorb fewer nutrients than you would normally, so correct aftercare is vital. I would certainly urge professional GPs and women in my situation to download the free advice leaflet and ensure they have adequate support and aftercare.”

WLS has also launched a 12-month Antenatal Bariatric Surgery Support Programme to educate and support patients who have become pregnant after weight loss surgery, with monthly reviews, nutritional advice sessions and band adjustments. This allows their pregnancies to be supported within the context of their weight loss procedures.

WLS is calling on GPs across the country to get to grips with the basics included in the advice leaflet. To find out more about WLS and its 12-month antenatal programme, visit www.wlsgroup.co.uk.
 

21st April 2009

RECESSION FUELS OBESITY CRISIS

With NHS spending on obesity-related illnesses set to reach £6.3 billion by 2015, medical experts are predicting an obesity epidemic and cash flow crisis in the worst hit areas of the recession.

The Weight Loss Surgery Group (WLS) has warned that cases of obesity are set to soar among those struggling financially, as they turn to convenience foods to cut back on increasingly high grocery costs.

A report released by the government last week revealed that the number of people claiming Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA) in Birmingham more than tripled over the past year. * The number of unemployed people also rose significantly in Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool Hull, Bradford, Bristol and Kirklees. Although people in these areas are now looking to tighten their belts economically, they are at increased risk of obesity as the economic downturn takes its toll. WLS has forecast that the findings in the report will have a significantly negative impact on obesity incidences, especially in urban areas.

With recent reports that local consumers are buying record numbers of comfort food*, not only is the nation’s health being compromised, but also, due to the strain on the NHS, patients are increasingly being denied life-saving weight loss operations.
WLS is now calling on the people to consider their health options during the recession to prevent an obesity epidemic.

Colleen Campbell, nutrition expert and patient services manager at WLS, said: “As the economic downturn takes its toll, many people turn to ‘convenience’ food as, what the consumer believes to be, a cheaper alternative, but this type of food can often be less nutritious and more calorie dense. In addition, luxuries such as gym memberships get cancelled in a bid to save money.

“This means the country’s health is being overlooked. But healthy options don’t have to be expensive, so WLS is calling on locals to look at all the opportunities available to maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise despite the tense financial environment.”

The issue was highlighted at the recent conference “Tackling Obesity Together”, sponsored by WLS.

Doctor Roger Ackroyd, bariatric specialist and WLS key note speaker, said: “Obesity places a great pressure on health care providers as it escalates the number of cases of linked medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Making weight loss surgery more widely available can possibly reduce the number of these medical problems and extend a patient’s life expectancy by approximately 10 to 15 years, so it is vital that funding is found for these procedures. “

Professor of exercise and obesity, Paul Gately commented: “Obesity is strongly associated with deprivation. I urge locals, professionals and public alike, to work to combat this epidemic.”

30th March 2009

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY CONFERENCE 2009

The first Weight Loss Surgery Conference took place on the weekend of 21st and 22nd March 2009, in Blackpool. The conference aimed to raise awareness about the holistic need to improve standards within the bariatric industry. We’d like to thank the keynote speakers, as well as all those who attended, for their help in making the event a great success. You can find out more about the conference by clicking here.

25th March 2009

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY UP 40%



Weight loss surgery carried out on obese people increased by 40% last year, according to new figures.



The NHS performed 2,724 cases in 2007/08 of "bariatric surgery", which includes stomach stapling, gastric bypasses and sleeve gastrectomy, according to a report from the NHS Information Centre.



Overall hospital admissions for obesity also increased, up 30% from the previous year to 5,018.

From 2006 to 2007 the number of NHS prescriptions dispensed on the NHS to treat obesity increased by 16% to 1.23 million.



Drugs commonly prescribed for weight-loss include Sibutramine, which alters chemical messages to the brain controlling feelings and thoughts about food, and Orlistat, which prevents fat absorption in the intestine.



The statistics on obesity, physical activity and diet in England showed that men, women and children have become more obese in the past decade.



In 2007 24% of adults were classed as obese, with a body mass index of 30 or more, with men and women equally likely to be overweight.



The percentage of obese women increased from 16% in 1993 while the percentage of men increased from 13%.



Since 1995 the percentage of obese boys (aged two to 15) increased 6% to 17% while the percentage of obese girls was up 4% to 16%.



Chief executive of The NHS Information Centre Tim Straughan said: "The report highlights the scale of the country's obesity problem and shows increasing NHS treatment using weight-loss surgery and medications."

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12th January 2009

THE WLS GROUP CALLS FOR REGULATORY STANDARDS AND MANDATORY AFTERCARE FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY

The Weight Loss Surgery Group Ltd (WLS), one of the leading lights in the field of bariatric medicine, has today called for the introduction of guidelines and regulatory standards to be put in place for all companies operating in the surgical weight loss arena.
The UK is on course to be the most obese nation in Europe by 2050 with 60% of men and 50% of women classed as obese* and surgical weight loss controls are becoming evermore popular.

Bariatrics, which is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity, has been pushed into the media spotlight recently due to a number of high gastric band profile surgery patients, such as recently voted Woman of The Year, Fern Britton.

However, this growth in awareness of procedures has led to reports of poor or nonexistent aftercare options currently being offered to patients.

Wendy Stubbs, Bariatric Nurse Director for The Weight Loss Surgery Group said, “Weight loss surgery is not just about the theatre time it takes to carry out the procedures, patients need to be professionally preoperatively assessed as well as receive a high standard of care from a multi-disciplinary team, once any procedure has been carried out.

“Many patients are looking for a life changing solution and need honest upfront advice. Therefore we believe providers should offer comprehensive aftercare options."

“We are hearing more and more of patients undergoing surgery who are simply operated on and left to their own devices when it comes to post operative care."

“Sadly this is a growing trend and many surgery providers are simply not taking the correct steps to ensure that their patients receive the correct levels of care."

“The patient journey is a vital part of the success of any surgery and as an industry, I believe we need to ensure that the correct levels of aftercare are provided for all patients. This is why we are calling for a UK standard to be put in place."

“At WLS we operate a unique two year aftercare programme designed to support patients and maintain the best weight loss results in a healthy and safe way. It doesn’t matter which procedure patients undertake, neither will have the desired effect if the aftercare programme is not followed, it is crucial to their success.”