The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has said 26 patients booked to have weight loss surgery, otherwise known as bariatric surgery, in the county in the first two months of this year – compared to just eight during the same period in 2013.
The statistics were obtained in a Freedom of Information request by Sally Harris, leader of the LighterLife weight loss group based in Telford.
Mrs Harris, who has struggled with her weight for decades but never turned to surgery, said she was concerned about the sharp increase.
She said: “It is a worry that it seems so many people are turning to weight loss surgery instead of trying to lose weight on their own.
“For the number of people to book any type of weight loss surgery to more than treble, I feel it is a sign of the times and the attitudes of people.”
Operations for weight loss such as the fitting of a gastric band or gastric bypass surgery are currently available on the NHS to treat those with potentially life-threatening obesity.
Researchers claim more than two million adults in England could be eligible for weight loss surgery.
Some 8,000 people receive the treatment each year in the UK, but the Imperial College London say more than 5per cent of adults would qualify, which equates to more than 2.1 million people.
Their study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, found that surgery rates were estimated to be a third of the NHS’s benchmark rate.
A spokesman for The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust said: “In selected cases, bariatric surgery can assist with weight loss.
“It is a decision that should not be taken without serious consideration as it has appreciable risks and is by no means a cure.
“Bariatric surgery produces a substantial amount of weight loss, which can be vital in achieving life-long weight management, and it can significantly reduce the risk of serious health complications.”
The spokesman also confirmed that because Shrewsbury and Telford & Wrekin is a designated centre for bariatric surgery, the Trust now receives referrals for patients from within the county and beyond.