Gastric band operation: The facts

Radio presenter and BB contestant Vanessa Feltz had a gastric band fitted in June - and was said to have lost 20lbs by July.

However, Vanessa has come under some criticism recently after she tweeted about eating cupcakes. Although a gastric band will reduce the amount of food you can eat, experts say you still need to change your eating habits and choose healthy food.

TV presenter Fern Britton admitted to having a gastric band fitted in 2008 after losing a lot of weight very quickly.

Find out more about the operation that's caused such a stir...

Why is gastric band surgery in the news?

Vanessa Feltz has admitted to having a gastric band fitted in June - which she hoping will help her to lose weight and keep it off for good. TV presenter Fern Britton recently lost 5 stone - originally she said the weight loss was down to exercise and healthy eating. After a newspaper investigation, she was forced to admit she had a gastric band operation in 2008 which kick-started the weight loss.

So what is a gastric band operation?

Basically, it's a form of weight-loss surgery for clinically obese people, where a surgeon puts a band around the top part of the stomach, making it more difficult for food to pass through to the intestine and meaning the patient feels full after much less food than before.

How successful are gastric band operations?

Reports show on average people lose between 50-65% of the extra weight they were previously carrying within 2 years.

Who can have a gastric band operation?

They apparently work best on people who doctors class as 'volume eaters' - in other words, if you get fat by eating very large meals. If a patient has psychological problems that are causing some of the weight gain, they are usually offered a gastric bypass operation - known as stomach stapling.

What are the risks of gastric band surgery?

The first downside is that it might not work. You have to change your lifestyle if you have one, otherwise your weight loss just won't happen. This means that Fern Britton's claim that healthy eating and exercise helped her lose weight are probably true.
All surgery has the risk of infection, blood clots and heart attack and this is higher if you are obese.
According to the British Obesity Surgery Patient Association, 1 in 2000 people die when having a gastric band fitted and 1 in 10 need further surgery as the gastric band slips.

Can I get it on the NHS?

In theory, yes. New government guidelines said that anyone over the age of 12 with a BMI of more than 40 (or over 35 if they have a serious illness caused by obesity, such as diabetes or heart disease) qualify for obesity surgery.

However, this means that up to 1 million people in the UK are eligible and the NHS is not equipped to deal with such numbers, so you might have to wait a long time.
Many people choose to go private instead - a gastric band operation usually costs around £7-8000.

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More help and advice

- Watch Fern's TV confession
- Read what June has to say about Fern
- Find out more about obesity
- Tips on beating obesity
- Find a diet that can help you lose weight
- Try our easy exercise tips
- Find your perfect diet