To think excess skin removal should be available on the NHS?

[TheGoodEnoughWife]

I know being fat is seen as being self inflicted although I don't agree that it is and that people over eating should be taken as seriously as people under eating. But that isn't necessarily my point here..,

I am very overweight (about 6st overweight but am tall) and one of the things in the back of my mind is that if I lose weight my saggy skin will be awful. The reality is my 'strain' on the NHS being overweight has the potential to be great - surely encouragement to lose weight would cost the NHS less in the long run?
It would be helpful maybe to me and others who need to lose a lot of weight to know that treatment for excess skin would be available to them?

Now I may get flamed about self inflicted and so on but if I drive a car badly and crash I would be treated on the NHS, if I drink like a fish and cause myself illness I would be treated on the NHS, if I go about extreme sports and hurt myself I also would get treated on the NHS.
(I don't do any of those things!)

Any one see where I am coming from?

I've lost 10 and a half stone this year via a sleeved gastrectomy, have about 5/6 more to go.
I have some lose skin, a lot of wobble but I honestly do not regret losing what I have done so far. Excess skin is horrible, but tbh the health benefits to losing the weight are amazing, and it's greatly improved my mental health too. I'll be forever thankful to the NHS.

Loose*

I lost five stone, last year, post Menopause and didn't have any lose skin.

I think that there should be more support for appetite control, in some circumstances and Psychological support, to prevent addiction etc issues, including eating.

We can't find excess skin removal before we extend the laser treatment for burn victims, scarring from self harming and all the dental work needed for people with conditions such as Crohn's and even those from neglected childhoods. Likewise wigs.

OP have you considered that if the NHS were to fund skin removal surgery after massive weight loss, that there is then less incentive for people not to become obese in the first place? God knows our society is bad enough already looking for someone else to fix something that we as individuals have mucked up.
Also - I have watched programmes where excess skin was removed - the results were massive scarring and lumpiness. What would you want next? Plastic surgery on the scarring?
Sorry but the line must be drawn somewhere. The NHS is to save life.
You must have options to save up for private treatment if needs be.

"Loose", not lose.

It's unfortunate but the NHS can't pay for everything. Excess skin is cosmetic surgery.
My daughter lost 6 stone. There is no quick fix, she went to the gym and kept to a sensible low fat diet. It took a long time but she looks fantastic now and no excess skin.

But my point is if free excess skin removal would encourage people to lose weight then the overall strain on the NHS would be less?

Surely encouraging people to lose weight would be good and I don't think there is nearly enough support at the moment. Back to the 'eat less, move more' when really the emotional reasons as to why people overeat are ignored and dismissed?

I believe that if someone works hard to lose weight then they should be allow the surgery to remove excess skin. However, I do not believe that excess skin removal should be on NHS and you have gastric band. That's using too much NHS resources

It is getting extremely restricted. I know a 25 year old NHS nurse who has extremely painful varicose veins made far worse by the standing and rushing around on long shifts at work, despite being a normal weight and wearing support stockings every day. Sometimes they are so painful it makes her cry (they look horrible too, but she's not bothered about that) They won't fix them on the NHS as they have to actually be ulcerating for that. So she can either wait until they are that serious (and it will be much more expensive to treat and she will inevitably end up off sick while she waits for the op if they get to that stage) or save up to have them done privately.

The NHS is overstretched enough as it is.

Loose skin is not a threat to your health. In all your examples, you would be treated for things which affect your health.

The NHS should help with your obesity, as it affects your health.

That is what the NHS does. Deal with your health.

For cosmetic purposes, you should pay yourself. If you are willing to remain obese because otherwise you would have loose skin, you are not taking your health seriously enough.

I think you are being unreasonable. There is not enough money and what there is needs to go towards medical issues not cosmetic ones unless they are exteme and visible. I think some corrective surgery such as plastic surgery for burns victims or surgery for deformed jaws (random example?) is ok but not for things such as saggy skin or normal boob jobs.

my point is if free excess skin removal would encourage people to lose weight then the overall strain on the NHS would be less?

really the emotional reasons as to why people overeat are ignored and dismissed

Well then really the most economic thing for the NHS to do is help with the emotional reasons for overeating. If they can prevent people from gaining the weight in the first place then they don't have to perform weight loss surgery; remove excess skin or deal with obesity-related diseases.

How old are you OP? age is a factor in how saggy your skin will be post-weight-loss. As a PP said, slow and steady weight loss also tends to give the skin time to adjust.

I do agree that the reasons behind weight gain should be addressed in a more supportive way. I also think (maybe just speaking for myself!) that if I had thought through the excess skin maybe I wouldn't have put weight on in the first place?

Although I also think overeating is a form of self harm so maybe rational thought is not possible

Sorry, I am 44

But my point is if free excess skin removal would encourage people to lose weight then the overall strain on the NHS would be less?

That's a big if.

If there is evidence that the above is true, the savings are notable and the unintended consequences negligible, then that would form a solid basis of a potentially winnable public campaign.

Is there the solid evidence to support the above ?

I had weight loss surgery, lost near on 10 stone I have excess skin especially on my legs but in all fairness it is self inflicted and I don't for one minute think that an overstretched NHS that is falling apart at the seams should fund me to look better

HighlandFling. NHS offered me a Health Trainer who went over the food and lifestyle changes I needed to make and visited me regularly to check how I was doing and to encourage me to continue. After a while I was given a choice of 12 free weeks at Slimming World, Weight Watchers or Rosemary Connolly. A lot better than 'fuck all' and enabled me to lose weight. Were you not offered anything like that?

But then I am also a HCP that sees day to day how little money is around

YABU. I find it hard to believe that anyone would risk their health and life expectancy over loose skin though.

Blueberry - do you think you should be 'rewarded' for your weight lost and the reduced strain on the NHS?

I have been offered no help through the NHS at all.

I think you should lose the excess weight, OP, then see whether or not you have a problem with excess skin. You're focussing on the wrong thing here.

*If the person has actually been strong enough to lose weight on their own and keep it off for so long, then yes. I think excess skin should be removed

If it's done by a gastric band or the person yo-yo diets, so keeps losing and gaining weight, then no*

Totally agree with this.

But maybe that is the 'warped' side of me as an over eater?

I actually think the promise of a excess skin removal if I lost weight and keep it off for a set amount of time would help me stick to a diet. Even if actually I may not want the surgery when it came to it? Just knowing it was a possibility of excess skin removal was a real issue?

YABU I've had no help from the NHS. I self fund because I'm told there is nothing to be done. Except that I've spent tens of thousands keeping myself functioning and not needing a wheelchair. And yes, I'm lucky dh earns well. So no, a bit of excess skin, which to loose the amount of weight you're discussing, is all you realistically would have, really is just cosmetic.