Weight-Loss Surgery To Boost The Economy
Sky News, 8th September 2010
A big part of the society nowadays is overweight or obese. A weight-loss surgery not only can help them to lose weight, cure their health problems and improve their life-style but can also help the economy.
The economic analysis show that the cost of the surgery pays for itself in just one year.
The royal College of Surgeons admitted that if obese patients underwent the weight-loss surgery, they could then get back to work instead of being on benefits. That could lower the cost of the surgery by £8.000.
Marcus Reddy from the St George’s Hospital said: “It has been a falsely held belief that bariatric surgery is expensive. It’s not. It’s very cheap. It’s something that will help all of us in the economy.”
Analysis shows that if only a quarter of obese patients had the size of their stomachs reduced, it would cost the NHS £546m.
On the other hand, though, over the next three years the NHS would save £104m as their health improved and the benefits bill would fall by up to £450m.
At the moment, there are so many obese patients that are housebound. If they had surgery, they could get back to work and help the economy to get a boost of £1.8bn.
Doctors admit that the weight-loss surgery might be seen as expensive in the first place. But we have to remember that after the surgery the diabetes is usually cured, which means they don’t need the medication and are no longer hospitalised.
