November 2017 and Mariah Carey has been reported to have had a gastric sleeve in order to lose her excess weight. Why does this matter? 

Like me, you may have been shocked to read today that Mariah Carey has undergone a gastric sleeve procedure.

My reaction on reading this was that she didn’t appear big enough. I’ve been discussing it with colleagues this morning and a number of things emerge from it that are worth considering:

• She is reported to have felt body shamed into having it done. It’s a sad reflection of today’s society that people are bullied, often on social media, in this way. See our blog on this from earlier this year.
• There is a danger the article trivialises weight loss surgery and makes it seem cosmetic. For the vast majority of people who have weight loss surgery their life is miserable due to their weight. They have surgery as a last resort to preserve their health or solve health problems they are experiencing
• If true, Mariah’s case would reinforce that unlimited financial resources to spend on personal trainers and healthy eating are not enough to help people manage their weight.

To be eligible for gastric sleeve in the UK you need to have a body mass index of 35+. It’s an excellent procedure that is now the most common weight loss procedure offered in the NHS. It works by reducing the size of the stomach. In a nutshell, about 80% of the stomach is removed. It’s a safe and effective procedure for people who are eligible.

It’s important to stress that no one should undergo weight loss surgery for cosmetic reasons alone. These are serious procedures that are designed to help people manage their obesity and the health issues associated with it. Most people having sleeve surgery will have 5 stones plus to lose.  Healthier Weight probably does more gastric sleeves than any other independent private provider in the UK and has 10 years + experience of supporting sleeve patients. Read more about the gastric sleeve and the new non-surgical gastric sleeve, the ESG, here.

If you have less than 5 stones to lose, one of the less invasive procedures, such as the gastric balloon or even the gastric band might be a better option for you.