Rotherham weight loss could be a model for the UK

Rother Valley MP Kevin Barron sponsored and attended a Parliamentary event hosted by the National Obesity Forum.

He said: “Thanks to this, many residents have avoided bariatric surgery, saving the NHS and the welfare system. This could be a model for the rest of the UK.

“Spending money today can save much more money tomorrow, and I’ll be working with public health teams in the Rotherham area to continue tackling obesity.”

Rotherham-based Dr Matt Capehorn, the forum’s clinical director, highlighted the “human cost” through heart attacks, diabetes, strokes and cancer.

Forum chairman Dr David Haslam said: “A network of ‘one stop shops’ - like those in Rotherham - to tackle obesity would cost just £240 million per year.

“In a recession this can appear high, but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the £50 billion per year that obesity is predicted to cost the taxpayer within a generation.

“If we invest now, we can save much more in the long term, and help prevent the NHS from becoming bankrupt.”