Fatties to cost NHS £1.6 million

Dangerously obese children will be entitled to stomach-stapling surgery on the NHS, it was reported last night.

Procedures including stomach-stapling would be offered to children who would otherwise stand a high risk of developing cancer, diabetes or heart conditions.

The newspaper says that children with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 40 would be eligible for NHS-funded operations that typically cost £8,000. A normal BMI measure is between 18 and 25.

It is thought that between 50 and 200 teenagers a year may have their stomachs stapled if the guidelines are accepted.

So the tax payer may have to dish out £1.6 million because of lazy bastards who refuse to exercise or eat healthily? Where are the parents? Why aren’t they feeding their children healthy food and giving them time limits on watching TV and playing on computers?

The parents should be responsible for their children’s health. If they get diabetes or other obesity related conditions the parents should be forced to pay for the full cost of the treatment, whether they are poor or not. It is not the business of the state to bail people out just because they can’t control their behaviour. The only things the state should do is make students over a certain BMI have to take PE for 2 hours per day everyday until they are down to a healthy weight and also have healthy alternatives at lunch. The state should not get involved in anything else.

Hat tip: A Tangled Web