1.5MILLION Brits are considered morbidly obese - The Sun

BRITAIN has 1.5MILLION adults classed as morbidly obese, shock figures revealed yesterday.

Tens of thousands are too fat to get out their own homes — or beds — and face premature death, disease and disability.

Figures also show NHS weight loss operations have soared by 530 PER CENT in six years.

There were 5,407 gastric bypass ops last year — compared to 858 in 2006. Gastric band ops went up from 715 to 1,316.

The ops cost between £5,000 and £7,000 each — adding up to £50million a year on the NHS budget. Surgeons carried out 26,227 ops to cut weight in six years.

Gastric banding involves reducing the size of the stomach with a band fitted around it, while a gastric bypass re-routes food to a small stomach pouch.

Alberic Fiennes, president of the British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society, said: "There is compelling evidence that weight-loss surgery to treat the most severely affected is one of the most clinically effective, safe and cost-effective treatments."

Consultant NHS bariatric surgeon Sally Norton added: "We're not just talking about people weighing 50st. A 5ft 10in man weighing 18st — 6st overweight — may be morbidly obese and over six times more likely to get diabetes and four times more likely to need a knee replacement.

"Preventing obesity is essential. And tackling childhood obesity is a major health priority if we are to prevent huge medical and financial problems in the future."

Health minister Simon Burns said: "We want people to live healthier lives but as a last resort doctors can advise procedures like these are undertaken."

e.little@the-sun.co.uk