There are numerous people out there who were obese and lost weight and ended up having an excess of saggy skin afterwards, but these people are usually overlooked.
Surgery to remove this surplus skin is not accessible on the NHS because it’s classed as cosmetic surgery, but this excess skin can often become painful, distressing and can cause lots of infections that are also extremely painful.
Surgery can cost thousands of pounds, which numerous people can’t afford or have to take loans out to pay for it, but the NHS doesn’t generally fund for cosmetic surgery unless there’s a medical need for it, but then they make the excuse that they’re not there to get you “beach ready”.
Even a person who’s had cancer and might have lost their teeth because of the chemotherapy, the NHS will not help because it’s classed as cosmetic surgery.
This surplus skin doesn’t just impact one part of the body, it affects the arms, tummy, thighs, breasts and the vaginal area where enormous flaps of skin hang down and cause irritation, infections and pain.
And numerous people are informed that the NHS is there to save lives and not to get them beach-ready.
This saggy skin impacts on a person’s daily lives. It can impact a person’s relationship with their partner where intimacy is pretty non-existent.
Yet the Government have this strategy that everyone should address obesity, yet they don’t want to support these people afterwards, and they’re whining that it’s costing millions to the NHS because people are having to have heart operations, or are diabetic amongst other things.
Losing weight isn’t straightforward and it takes numerous years to lose weight which in the end save the NHS millions of pounds because there would be fewer heart operations, fewer people would be diabetic, so less medication given to them.
There should be at least some incentive because these people have spent years struggling to lose the weight, which makes them feel better in themselves, less melancholy, and more inclined to do something with their lives.
Boris Johnson said that we all have to do our bit so that we can lower the risks to our health and so that we can take the pressure off the NHS – well, Boris, you also have to do your bit as well – allow these people to have surgery because they have done their bit.
Health Secretary, Matt Hancock said that everyone knows how difficult losing weight can be so they’re taking bold steps to help everyone who needs it, but they’re not!
Yes, tackling obesity will help prevent serious illness and save lives, but what about their well-being thereafter? They can’t just be left to get on with it, with a pat on the back from the Government and a well done, you did fantastically but we won’t allow you cosmetic surgery on the NHS, even if you’re in pain because of the surplus skin leftover from losing weight.
Even exercising is challenging and painful for these people because the skin hangs so much it seats between the legs and can get trapped in the machines and they have to make sure when showering that they dry and moisturise correctly and that there’s nothing left in the folds of the skin because it causes infections.
And when these people approach their doctor, they’re told they don’t fit the criteria and that they should go private and even cancer patients are not given any support after they recover, they’re just left to get on with it.
This is brutal because hopefully by losing all that weight they’ve lowered the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer and in the long run have saved the NHS money.
And it appears that people that were obese don’t have a loud voice and they’re largely overlooked, so what’s the point of them losing weight if they don’t have quality of life and their life is hampered afterwards.
Surgery for excess skin after losing weight can cost between £7,800 up to £24,000 if not more, with many having to go privately, having to take out enormous loans and it’s not do-able for the average working-class person, I mean, who really has that kind of money spare?
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 