to think help with losing weight should be based on clinical need not on eligibility for free prescriptions

[finlandstation84]

So My bmi is 38. I have recently bern diagnosed with a condition ehich is likely to need surgery. My gp has advised me thst they may not be happy with my weight. Well neither am I. So I asked for some support with losing weight. I was expecting to be offered regular weigh in with a HCA. Instead I was told by the receptionist that they now do a Slimming World Referral. Even better I thought until I discovered thst I do not qualify as I am not in receipt of free prescriptions. Now I get it is fair to offer to those less abke to psy but it is slso provided for people eith a medical exemption. well both my dh and I have long term conditions which require us to pay for prescriptions. If we had different conitions they would be free and I would be entitled to support losing weight.
Now I do already have a gym membership and I am trying to diet but could really use some extra help. I am an emotional eater and reslly need regiment of a weigh in to help.
Aibu to be upset no support is available when there is a clesr clinical need.

Sorry to hear that the fairy we had similar with my parents as they got older. As I said in my last post the thing that got to me last night was the fact that I was originally offered it but was than told O no you don't actually qualify because of x criteria.

Honestly I think the whole approach by the NHS with regards to weight management has been woeful for the past couple of decades. It's not about making people join slimming world but dealing with the peripheral issues that are shown via obesity.

Take DH, almost 40 and clinically obese. He doesn't have a weight issue so much as a problem with low confidence/ self esteem and an emotional eating issue. Sending him to SW isn't going to help him. As it is we are in the us and our health insurance are willing to pay 100% of the cost for him to get help. Sadly his GP died last year and he hasn't found a new GP that he likes so hasn't been for the referral.

I get angry with DH because he has a responsibility to me and our dc to maintain his weight. As I work later DH cooks the evening meals and it has really shocked me that when I weighed in at my 8 week check up I was just into the obese category. Well I'm already doing something about it by walking 20mins a day (quick pace) and not eating much of anything that DH cooks. Quite frankly I don't need slag Bol made with bacon to 'give it flavour'. My obn was shocked that I lost 4lb in a month.

Why bother with "Stoptober" andvorpther stop smoking services than if people must take responsibility for their own health. That must cost the NHS loads.

Ww and sw are designed to make people fail and keep coming back. If it really worked they would be out of a job.The number of people that say "I'm doing ww/sw again

I don't know about 'designed to make people fail' but Sadly, all the people I know who go to these clubs do end up going for years. They yo-yo diet. Once it comes off they pile it on again and usually gain even more.
Something goes wrong.

SW and WW aren't designed to make people fail. Both organisations have maintenance plans and SW at least offers free membership for life to anyone who stays within 3 pounds of their target weight.

People generally* regain weight because they revert to the bad habits (overeating, poor food and drink choices, too much junk) that made them gain weight in the first place.

*discounting disability, illness etc

I used to be very much of the 'designed to fail' frame of mind until I joined.

In reality as with anything those who are in the right mindset will do well, if you aren't in the right mindset to do well uou won't and no amount of support will do that. As much as support helps it can't do it for you.

Sw is very easy to follow and is more of a lifestyle change so easily sustainable

Can any of the nurses at your practice offer you any support? My practice had a nurse led programme called Counterweight and it is all about portion size and cutting back processed foods. This plan is similar to what I followed and gives a good idea of sizes of portions (Counterweight gave permission to adapt the plan for the site).
I had the same BMI as you and I was allowed 9 carb portions (100g potato, 25g pasta/rice, 1 slice of bread all equal one portion), 3 protein, 3 fats, 3dairy, 4 fruit and 4 veg as well as about 160 cals for a snack.
That was 3 1/2 years ago and I had lost 4 1/2 stone whilst on it, I have not been following the plan as much lately and put some back on but it hasn't stopped me from being 6 1/2 miles off running 70 miles this month with tomorrow still to go. I teamed the plan with joining the gym and going to classes where I met loads of really nice people and completed 2 Tough Mudders with people I met there.

Unfortunately, OP, if you are only able to lose weight and keep it off with the public 'shaming' of a weekly weigh in, then long term, you will regain the weight once the weigh ins stop because you've not dealt with why you want to overeat, you obviously know where you are going wrong, you've done it before and so don't need to be told how to lose weight. The weigh-in just over rules your desire to use food as comfort, it's not stopping you wanting or needing to use food as comfort, so as soon as you've hit your target, you'll go back up again next time you hit a bump in the road and need comfort again.

You don't need help with your diet, you need help your attitude to eating. Ask your GP for a referal for counselling, not a diet, you are focussing on fixing the symptoms, not the actual problem.

(But MFP is very good for making you face up to what you are actually eating, first step is often to get a clear picture of what you are eating, the timings you 'fall off the wagon', the size of portion you are eating compared to the standard etc)

"SW and WW aren't designed to make people fail. Both organisations have maintenance plans and SW at least offers free membership for life to anyone who stays within 3 pounds of their target weight.

People generally* regain weight because they revert to the bad habits (overeating, poor food and drink choices, too much junk) that made them gain weight in the first place.

*discounting disability, illness etc"

Yep, and bear in mind that with SW, you set your own target weight, so that's the weight you stay in range of and...if actually you'd rather be a different weight then you can change it.

But yes, the reason most people gain weight again is because they revert to eating like they did when they gained weight before.

Tbh I think part of the reason why I haven't continued to lose the weight I lost post pregnancy was stress and tiredness related. I was singlehandedly running a home and looking after a young baby and 2 young children without much help. Food gave me the energy to get through the day. Hopefully things at home have changed and I should be able to focus more.
Thank you for replies.
Incidently I have never felt ashamed if I didn't lose or gained weight at a weigh in. It just gave me the focus to evaluate what went wrong.
o and I did ask about counterweight. The receptionist say we don't fo that anymore and offered sw instead.
so they replaced a service for all withbone only for some. That was what annoyed me.

Yes they offer matainace plans that are designed to make people fail.

We used to be more about just selling their own products. They were no healthier, just a smaller thing for the same price. The kind of foods that it is very difficult to have in moderation.

Isn't a doughnut more points than an avacado?

Eat mostly unprocessed foods, no refined carbs and exercise a bit. Its easy and free.

They aren't designed to make things fail, and slimming world don't do any hard sell on the limited range of their own products they sell. I know ww has a different approach with their much wider product range though.

I don't know much about ww but slimming world is really good-lots of emphasis on eating well with plenty of fresh cooked food full of vegetables. It is definitely sustainable long term-my bmi is normal but I've got a few of the cookbooks because I like the recipes. Once you adjust to what's a normal portion it gets a lot easier.

Obviously people do slip into bad habits again but doesn't that happen to people who haven't ever dieted? I can't see how that means the plan is "designed to make people fail".

Sw is the best of a bad bunch IMO. Only really helps people that don't understand that fresh unprocessed food is healthy. Might as well buy a healthy cook book. I think they do now have ready meals in Iceland.

Lighter life is another bad one. You might as well save your money and just have nesquick and a multivitamin. Of course the weight drops off if your not eating.

Sorry but I'm with Minnie, why the hell should the NHS pay for someone to lose weight, just don't eat so much, it's not rocket science!!

Just go for a bloody walk and not eat as much!

"Only really helps people that don't understand that fresh unprocessed food is healthy."

Not really - I knew full well before I joined what sort of things I should be eating, I'm just no good at eating like that without some sort of back up.

Yes some people become overweight because they don't understand nutrition, but for most people it's way more complicated than that - which is why losing weight can be a real struggle.

I've just joined SW. I completely ignore all the dietary advice and follow my own plan. I just enjoy the meetings and the encouragement. Have lost half a stone in two weeks. I get free prescriptions for a health condition but had no idea this meant I could get SW membership for free!

"Sorry but I'm with Minnie, why the hell should the NHS pay for someone to lose weight"

Because it's cheaper than paying for two decades worth of diabetes care?

"just don't eat so much, it's not rocket science!"
Yes, it's amazing so many people are still fat given how easy and simple it is to lose weight.

Ffs. :-(

I can see why financial assistance for a fairly low cost, non nhs service us targeted at those who receive free perscriptions.

It could have been worded better, maybe, but you could also be being sensitive to the wording. Fundentally you were told that slimming world might help, and that the GP could pay for it, if you were eligible for free perscriptions.

That if could have been supplied sooner, but maybe the GP hadn't read all of the small print of the new initiative yet, and only came back to it to when she thought of referring you to it.

The NHS is on its knees . It is refusing to fund life saving cancers treatments because it can't afford it . However, you think it should fund slimming world because you can't stop yourself from overeating !!

This new initiative has ben around since 2013 apparently. The counterweight program since 2010 ish as I did courweight for a while. I asked to book a counterweight appointment and was told no we don't do that now but offer sw. So it was receptionist who perhaps needs to look at criteria.
I get what you say about cancer treatments but there are loads of things funded by NHS which could be deemed personal choice.
O and my weight has been stable for about 3 years so I am not actually over esting right now.

Free prescriptions is a weird criteria though as it doesn't just cover ability to pay. It slso covers certain medical conditions and you could have a particular condition and actually have a greater ability to pay than someone on an income just above the threshold for free prescriptions.

O and people forgot how much other eating disorders cost the NHS. My sister was aneoroxic/bullimic when I was a teenager. She rightly so got lots to help to get treatment (including hospital admissions) as it is an illness. Now she has problems with her teeth and bones etc and is still marginally underweight. (So still costing NHS)
But I just need to est less right as it is so simple.

Because it's cheaper than paying for two decades worth of diabetes care? hmm

By the time the current generation of overeaters give themselves diabetes the NHS will be drastically different. Hopefully like the French system.