# 'Obese may get fat op & IVF on NHS'



## Guest (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi all!

Has anyone read in The Sun about the NHS offering gastric bands to overweight infertility patients and then giving them IVF on the NHS as soon as they have lost the weight??

Yeah cos its that easy isnt it??

Dont the media talk utter clap trap??

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/health/health/article1644759.ece

/links


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Hmm what a lovely quick fix NOT!!!  For many women obesity is not their only problem which is stopping them from conceiving!!  And how then do they justify all the obese women who fall pregnant without any problems?  Surely there must be complications between having a gastric band fitted and becoming pregnant?  Gastric banding isn't as simple as just having the band put in - you have to be so careful about what you eat.  xxx


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## Flopsy (Sep 18, 2003)

I'm angry at the smug couple featured in the Sun. How dear they judge me. If "Jenny" is a member of Fertility Friends maybe she would like to come and meet me.

Potshots from a newspaper at other infertile people is pretty sick behaviour. Lets meet in person. We can invite the Sun as well and lets see how courageous you both are in person.

Can anyone name and shame these people?


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Oh my god - the comments on there this morning are so disgusting - I have registered so that I can say my piece as I am so angry at some of the comments made.  The last one of which said a gastric band should be put around their fat neck and clothes should stop being made for their lard arses  xxx


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

I have left this comment on the sun website

I am disgusted by the ill educated, bigoted comments I have seen made on here with regards to this news story.  Have any of you done your research or are you merely voicing your opinions without knowing the full facts?  

Whoever it was who said that fat people would make bad parents, and so their being infertile is for a reason, may I ask then why it is that people who abuse children are not infertile, people who cannot provide for children are not infertile etc etc??

I myself have been trying for a baby now with my husband ( who might I add is not even an ounce overweight and exercises daily) for 7 years now.  I have PCOS which I believe someone was kind enough to mention in their comment.  As a child/teenager I was always a thin person.  Unfortunately in my late teens and early 20's my PCOS developed and I put on 9 stone in the space of a couple of years.  After 3 years of trying for a baby, we went to the GP - I was diagnosed with PCOS by our local fertility clinic and have been under their care since then.  I have now lost 50lbs in order to have fertility treatment but still have a long way to go.  I am fitter than a lot of my thin friends, exercise regularly but with PCOS, weightloss is incredibly difficult.

My husband and I have been together for 12 years, married for 4, both have good jobs, own our own home, have no debt and are both well educated.  Are you all saying that just because I am overweight we are not fit to be parents?

You assume that just because some people do stuff their faces that all people who are overweight do the same.  Obviously if you educated yourself you would realise that there are many contributing factors to someone being overweight and although there is a percentage of those overweight for whom it is self inflicted, there are also those of us who have battled with our weight and do not want to be overweight and have a medical reason as to why this is the case.

People in this country are so quick to judge without knowing the full facts - may I suggest that rather than voice your ill placed comments on here, you spend those minutes educating yourselves on the ins and outs of infertility and some of the reasons why someone might be overweight and infertile that are not linked to overeating?

Infertility is not something I would wish on my worst enemy.  It is an emotional rollercoaster requiring much patience, and as a couple much strength in your relationship.  I only wish those of you judging us without knowing us that you would take a moment to think.


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

It's disgusting isn't it - makes me so angry.  God forbid we should judge their chav readers who walk down the street, can of special brew in hand, burn out car in front garden, with 8 snotty nosed, underfed, under loved kids hanging off their arms.

It's things like this that really get my back up.  Yesterday when my nurse asked if I needed any more drugs for stimming I asked if I could have some heroin or crack seeing as though that seems to work for others - luckily I can have a joke with her and she saw the funny side, but I just think how dare people judge us for being overweight when there are things that are far more detrimental to a childs development and they don't seem to be judging those people xxx


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Thanks hun - maybe I should have put it in text speak lol!!

It is just so so sad - people are so quick to judge others these days without taking a good long look at themselves.  xxxx


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Too true - I also know that I would make a far better parent than a lot of them!  And that I don't need to judge others xxx


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## Flopsy (Sep 18, 2003)

Thank you ladies,

The comments did upset me last night. Particularly the ones about gastric bands around the neck and the other violent and threatening ones.

I reported them to the moderator but as the forum is premoderated (?) they must have allowed them through.

Looks like the nazi euthanasia spirit is still alive and well at the Sun.

If IQ was a prerequisite for having children none of these people would be allowed to breed.


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

(((hugs))) Flopsy - those comments have angered me so much today I have emailed the link to everyone I know asking them to pass comment.

The person who made the comment about the necks seems to regularly accuse other people of being nazi's on there - ironic indeed!

I am around if you need to chat xxx


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

I reckon he is! Funny no more comments since I posted mine though  hehe!!  xxx


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## Flopsy (Sep 18, 2003)

We have a Sun Journalist on Fertility Friends. I do hope that she sees this thread and feeds back

p.s. the quality of the trolls on the website is poor


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Yes it would be interesting to hear her opinion.  I am still in shock at the comments made by those people on there.  I know that we have to allow for freedom of speech but I am sure The Sun would not want people to think all it's reader are bigoted idiots! xxx


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## BABY2 (Nov 28, 2007)

I am not quite sure where to begin with this article?? 
First of all I think THE SUN  always makes an   of themselves with the articles they print and not sure why anyone would want to waste 20pence on it.
Secondly, as a BIG& BEAUTIFUL woman , I have always been judged by the medical world...always assuming I must be at deaths door, and always not wanting to believe that I actually don't have diabetes, high blood pressure, etc etc that's always associated with being large. I faced incredible discrimination from my local hospital and gyn con that my GP referred me to, and she told me she would not put me on the NHS IVF list because of my weight, however, privately , and not in this country may I add, I have had no problems with being offered treatment.
As someone said, we are very quick to judge others in this country, I work with teenage mothers, and during my darkest hour when I thought we would never have a baby just after my last miscarriage, it never crossed my mind to judge any of the girls I work with , some of whom are very fertile and go on to have many abortions etc.....Having worked with social services for many years , I have seen some horrendous cases of "bad parenting" or rather no parenting skills in a variety of abuse categories, emotional, physical  etc..and THE SUN  would be very surprised to know, none of those parents's abuse towards their children had anything to do with their weights-big or small!!!
I cant even bring myself to reply to the couple featured in the article , just the fact that they would talk to THE SUN  says it all for me really 
What amazes me , is why and how THE SUN  is still in print!!
Pxx
Big and proud


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Here Here baby2!  So encouraging for me to see that ou got a bfp! xxx


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## BABY2 (Nov 28, 2007)

Hi BeeBee

Thanks for the congrats. I am fed up with everyone going on about obesity , fat, big , large blah blah blah .....If anyone talks about people smoking and drinking, you'll have a load of people sticking up for them, but if you are bigger than average then you seem to be the bane of everyone's life 

Believe me it was a long hard road to get this BFP and it had nothing to do with my weight!!

Pxx


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)




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## Wraakgodin (Jun 17, 2006)

Their comments have made me furious!  I couldn't believe that people could be so nasty and bigoted.  It is really hurful when people say that there is a reason why infertile people can't have kids. The only thing stopping me from getting upset is the fact that this is exactly what these morons want.  

Perhaps the band should be put over that person's mouth (or to bound their hands together so they can't use a keyboard!) so they won't make such horrible comments again.

Sorry - just spitting fire here.

Baby2, great post - you go girl!

BeeBee, excellent post on the Sun website.  I think your words silenced them (or perhaps they are just looking up all the words in the dictionary!)

Sue


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Lol Sue well I did wonder if maybe I should have written it in text speak or added pictures of naked ladies to it xxx


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## Caz (Jul 21, 2002)

Thanks that last couple of posts amused me greatly. 

You know the sad thing is The Sun is actually (usually) fairly pro IVF - at least I thikn it is, based on the number of times they have Mr T from the ARGC and various Sun Woman features about him and fertility tx in there. However as much as they might be pro-IVF, they also suffer from some incredibly bigotted views against a whole range of sterotypes and some of their readers, who reply to letters / on the internet manage to take bigotry to a completely new level of obscenity IMO. 

There might be a valid and reasonable arguement behind the suggestion posted in the atricle but it's completely lost the point after they stuck that sidebar with the "furious but slim infertile couple" on the side. As much as a feel for that couple, because they are still delaing with IF, they really have no right to pass judgement on other people's pain. None of us do. 

There are lots of reasons why people are infertile as there are lots of reasons why people are overweight. Sometimes weight loss does help improve fertility but I know I'm a bit sick of seeing people here getting no help or support from medical professionals to get fit / slim again when they've clearly asked for it. I know I personally have seen several newbies who have posted saying they've been "fobbed off" or told to lose weight before they qualify for tx without any support on how they go about doing that. What I am saying is I don't think, up until now, even the medical profession takes it's responsibility to help weight loss and thus improve out overall health very seriously. Face it, you see adverts on tele, posters etc. all over the place for free "stop smoking" NHS helplines / support groups etc. Where do you ever see any adverts for free NHS weight loss support. I bet most people wouldn't even realise they could get support to lose weight through the NHS if you asked them.

And then, if you're big and you and happy the way you are, why should you be judged for it? Some of our society  is very quick to condem the "fat" and very quick to condemn the "skinny" without pausing to consider being happy with your size / shape is more important than what you actually look like.

C~x


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## Nicola-Kate (Apr 22, 2008)

Hey girls,

I'm so gonna put my comments on there now.
How dare jenny comment on fat people getting treated when she didn't cause she was too you. 
She ain't the only one F's get over yourself gal. Plenty of lasses in here are too young and some too fat but they all have the same needs and feelings to become a mum. I'm so mad.

I have had a up and down trip to get a child i was told after having cervical cancer i couldn't have kids so have my bits taken away. I was then told i could so an app was made with the consultant. Then he said i smoked give up and go back so i did, when i went back due to giving up smoking i put of 4 stone he then said i was too fat. 
To cut a long story short i asked for a band but they said i didn't eat enough for 1 and i was too under weight to have one.
Yet they wont take my treatment to the next stage because I'm 'FAT'.

I don't eat bad i love veg and do home cooking 6 nights out of 7. The 7th night we get a take away i don't believe in buying jars at the shops i make everything from fresh etc etc. The Dr have said my weight is totally down to having a very bad case of pocs i didn't ask for that but have to make the most of it. 
My cards have been delt now Ive to make the most of them dint i.

I'm of to write my comments now they will hate me.


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

Caz - totally agree - people are so quick to think that fat means unfit as well - they forget that some bigger people are fitter than some thin people!

Nicola - hugs hun I can understand where you are coming from xxx


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## Junnie (May 17, 2008)

well im what is considered Fat.. i dont look it but my PCOS and insulin resistance makes it hard for me to loose the weight I dont stuff my face Im a chef I eat a reasonable diet. Im not eating for fun and dont drink grease.. Oh and I TOO can run a half marathon!!

a good friend of mine had the Band surgery lost loads of weight.. but the sideeffects were not fun shes had 4 miscarriages since the band.. 

as far as that article goes.. yeah cause all us people on FF eat chocolate bars... stuff our faces and think why arent we getting preggo?? Do they not realize that just cause we arent skinny doesnt mean we are UNHEALTHY!

So if being fat makes us not get pregnant then why do woman on smack fall pregnant so easily?

Maybe skinny minny is Anorexic.. and thats her problem.. See it goes both ways now doesn it?


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

It most definitely does!!  xxx


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## loobylou713 (May 8, 2005)

well i thought i would try this out as i have been fat most of my life but hey always paid for my treatment. I went to my docs this morning to see if i could have a lap band my bmi is 40 so thought i would get it. My doc as sent me for loads of blood test and i am to see the nurse in her fat club not wanting to say obese clinic. Anyway he said he as never had to send anyone for lap band surgery and said he would give me tablets. I even mentioned as he knows that time is not on my side for having a baby and he didn't budge so it isn't that easy.


Linda
xxx


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## ❣Audrey (Aug 22, 2008)

It definitely isn't that easy at all hun - they seem to try you on any medication they can before they will even consider this! xxx


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## Cath Thorley (Mar 28, 2005)

I think that is terrible, I was informed that if I wanted my free go of IVF on the NHS I had to get my BMI below 30.  This is itself sounded fair until I worked out that over the past few years I have actually lost 4 stone.  For nearly twelve months I battled to lose the stone and all I kept doing was losing the inches and dropped three dress sizes and only lost 7lbs.  I had tried everything from going to the gym right down to taking slimming tablets from my GP.

In the end a fortnight before my consultation for the IVF I detoxed for a week and only drank water, the outcome was worth it as I was given a BMI of 29.7.  The detoxing made me really ill and even now I am still having problems keeping food down as my system is not use to having food in its system.

Even my GP said it was silly as the BMI way of things is inaccurate, I have a 34E pair of boobs and them in themselves would weigh a lot.

At least my hard work succeeded and I am now waiting to start my first and only free attempt at IVF.

Love

Cath
xx


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## Junnie (May 17, 2008)

I think this is a big problem with BMI... 

Firstly im sorry you had to go through this. All though I agree being healthy aids in the process of IVF, I know a lot of "bigger" girls that weight A LOT yet are quite built. 

This is forcing woman to binge, detox, and do other UNSAFE methods...which i think is actually MORE harmful to the baby and to the IVF process


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