Obesity operations more than doubled under Labour - Burstow

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 31st Jul 2005

Operations to treat obesity have more than doubled in England since Labour came to power according to figures obtained by Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Burstow. In 1997 there were 280 operations and this has leapt to 759 last year - a 270 per cent increase in the number of operations.

The Health Select Committee estimated last year that obesity costs the country £3.7 billion a year.

Guidelines from the Government advice body NICE have recommended that the number of operations should go up each year until they reach a maximum of 4000. A private hospital with services devoted entirely to carrying out operations on obese people is opening this year, and hopes to win contracts to treat NHS patients.

Paul Burstow MP said:

"These figures demonstrate why action is needed urgently. There is an obesity time-bomb ticking away in this country. Lives are being cut short and the NHS faces increasing costs.

"It is clear that the demand for surgery and other medical help is rocketing. The only hope of containing these costs is if a concerted effort is launched to tackle the causes of obesity.

"Despite the mounting evidence, the Government continues to hope that a voluntary approach to food labelling and nutrition standards will reverse the trend. What is needed now is a sense of urgency from the Government and tough action to tackle junk food and improve labelling."