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Obesity in Australia | Governments Quick Fix
Posted on June 2nd, 2009 9 commentsThis week a parliamentary committee recommended to the Government that all people in Australia who
are diagnosed as being ‘obese’ should have access to free or subsidised lap-band surgery.The surgery itself consists of a band being placed around the top most part of the stomach, which can then be inflated or deflated and restricts the amount of food that can enter the stomach. A form of gastric banding, the idea is that less food is required for the consumer to have a sensation of being ‘full’.
The idea behind providing this for free to all members of the community who are diagnosed as obese, is to alleviate the pressure put on the health care system by obesity itself, and all medical conditions associated with it. The committee found that the costs of providing the lap-band surgery would be less than the ongoing fees over time if they continue to effect the health care system as they do.
Is this doing enough for people diagnosed with obesity?
Obesity is usually seen hand in hand with a lifestyle; that is overeating, lack of exercise and emotional attachment. Sometimes there are other medical conditions also present. Whether all of these are the cause of effect, they aren’t simply ‘gone’ once people undergo the lap-band surgery. For example, a person with diabetes from the obesity would slowly recover their health. Awesome! However a person who is large because of a psychological transference of emotions into food… well that isn’t so clean cut. Put the lapband on their stomach and all you’re going to do is run into problems the very next time the person is upset or angry.
What more could be done?
With the economic crisis in mind, the Government is of course looking at ways of cutting down anything that costs them money. Eventually, this could mean a health care system something like Americas. We want to avoid that at all costs. But free lap band surgery? While it may be cheaper in the long run, I don’t see it necessarily a positive; more one of those ‘quick fix and think about the negatives later’ type things. What, are we going to have to put up with a whole bunch of people walking around with baggy skin? joke.
Instead, why doesn’t the government target Obesity as a pandemic, as it really is. It is a health concern which is contributing to more and more deaths each year. Instead of looking at ways of cutting funding for it, why doesn’t the Government spend more money on trying to educate the population. Look at the millions of dollars they’ve spent on the swine flu, which has killed 0 people in Australia, compared to the small amount they have spent directly on Obesity related systems which each year claims dozens of lives.
What I would like the Government to do is to implement lifestyle changes for people. This is an extremely hard thing to do, and I realise that glazing over it like this makes it sound so simple. Obesity has no quick-fix and so we shouldn’t treat it like it does. How about cheaper gym memberships for people diagnosed as obese? How about health-food tax incentives? Mandatory healthy eating training in workplaces and schools? These are, of course, positive reinforcements. Negative reinforcements may also work. Higher fast food taxes? Fines for parents who have obese children? [yes, i know it isn't always the parents fault. as i said, glazing over those details]. There is an endless pot of ideas that we could articulate to try to solve the Obesity effects sweeping our world, and nation.
What are you going to do?
What are your thoughts about free lap-bad surgery. Do you think the parliamentary committee has the correct approach in the ‘do it now, we’ll solve the problems after’, or do you think that a lifestyle-change approach is better?
Do you have any personal experience in regards to this?
Random Adjustable gastric band, australia, Australia Governments, Diabetes, Economic Crisis, Emotional Attachment, Emotions, Fast food, Free Lap, Health Care, Health Care System, Health System, Lack Of Exercise, Lap Band Surgery, Lapband, Lifestyle, Medical Conditions, Medicine, money, Obesity, Obesity In Australia, Parliamentary Committee, People, Sensation, Stomach, Surgery, Transference7 responses to “Obesity in Australia | Governments Quick Fix”
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I am amused that the banner ad came up for
“The Gabriel Method: lose weight without dieting” -
Brodhe,
Great Article, however, I should point out to you that if there was even a 25% reduction in cases of heart disease and diabetes, that alone would pay for the lap-band surgeries to be performed. As to the psychological impact, all patients that wish to receive a subsidised lap-band operation should be subject to seeing a psychologist before and after surgery.
Thanks for keeping us informed
Garrett
http://garrettstechnologyassist.com -
Unfortunately at times the lap band surgery is the last and only resort. It may not always be the best option, but there are cases when the person that needs to lose weight doesn’t have another choice.
Example; my grandfather. Because he has major back problems, a hip problem, no abdominal wall (due to three strangulated hernia’s that went gangrenous) he can not walk nor exercise to lose the weight that’s been gained due to his lack of abdominal wall.
He wants to have the lap-ban done, but the doctors don’t want to risk it – he’s had fifteen operations so it’s not good for him if he gets another one.But, if he were to lose weight, this would be his only option. And I’ve seen the results it has done for a lot of people.
It has to be better than stomach-stapling.
James.
http://hes-electric.blogspot.com -
Healthcare perspective.
For arguments sake, lets say obesity is an illness.
One of the problems I have with this article and recommendation to parliament is that the medical team is not treating the cause of a person’s illness, they are treating the symptoms. Simply, their increased weight.
Many, if not all, obese people (BMI >30) have a psychological component to their obesity. Whether or not they will admit it or recognise it, another issue to contend.
What they really need is a government funded psychological debriefing and some ‘life’ coaching, but the psychologist and social work teams arent interested in that. We’ll just readmit you next week!
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Medical Perspective.
1. @arka – While lap banding is indeed, only treating the symptoms of obesity – it’s the symptoms that are going to kill a person, so it is imperative that this is controlled by whatever means necessary to keep someone alive long enough to help target the underlying cause. Same principle goes for even the simplest things like having an infection (control the pain/fever etc, then bust the bug). Parliament are probably doing the best they can to reduce the IMMEDIATE morbidity and mortality from obesity.
2. @arka – Probably unfair (and slightly offensive) to say that psychologist and social workers aren’t interested in helping people with obesity. These people train long and hard for their qualifications and are interested enough to devote their entire career life to helping people with their problems.
3. Lap banding will only have people lose aroung 15% – 25% of their body mass. This is not the be all and end all obesity cure. 25% of 250 kg is still going to keep someone well above the morbidly obese line, but this is at least something to help people see how much their quality of life can improve with weight loss, to help motivate them to make some progressive lifestyle changes.
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The only way you can manage obesity is throught Proper Diet and lots of exercise. The human body is designed for work so we should always get some form of physical exercise to stay fit.
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Obesity and diabetes is a growing problems nowadays. It is caused by todays lifestyle which does not involve lots amount of exercise. Most people are just happy sitting in their office chair and they do not even want to sweat.
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David June 3rd, 2009 at 07:17