Yet another BBC documentary on obesity, this time featuring an emaciated looking surgeon who specialises in removing skin lesions. It was an excellent exposition of how broken and inappropriate it is to apply a reductionist, scientific lens to a problem of this kind.

A bunch of Imperial College scientists banging on about grellin and PPY and twin studies and epigenetics and fMRI and finishing up with a mandatory reference to bariatric surgery as the only successful intervention that actually changes the way your mind thinks about food.

If only there was a more expensive and complicated way to intervene?

Are we going to get to the point where bariatric surgery becomes a standard procedure, like desexing a dog?

The more of these programs I watch, the more distasteful and disappointing they seem.

If the end goal is to stop people eating crap, and also feel fuller quicker, then there has to be a better, more positive, less invasive way to achieve this than with surgery or a pill.

 

 

Program Site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dzfgb
Video Source: http://vimeo.com/64960883