An English woman, who lost about 120 kilos to attain dream body killed herself after achieving that goal
To lose weight, all 100 kilos of it, is every (wo)man’s dream but an English woman was, according to reports driven to suicide by exactly that.
Kelly Burndred, 37, weighed about 190 kilos at her heaviest in 2014, but attained 65 kilos by March 2015 after going through weight loss surgery. Her husband Gareth was reported by English media as having seen that Kelly’s depression got worse after the weight loss surgery.
The incident drives home once more the high risks of depression or even self harm associated with weight loss surgery. It is a documented risk. In 2016, an article in JAMA Surgery noted that the risk of self harm could go up by as much as 50%. “The findings indicate that a few patients had self-harm emergencies; however, the risk of these emergencies increased significantly after surgery. Overall, the self-harm risk increased from 2 per 1000 patient-years to 3 per 1000 patient-years after bariatric surgery and equals a mean increase of approximately 50%,” says the article.
That, is also the reason why the jury, even among the medical community is still out on whether bariatric surgery should be used as a cosmetic procedure merely for weight loss or only when the weight loss is essential for disease control, like in case of Type II diabetes. In that sense, weight loss is really the side effect and not the real deal.
As the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says: “Bariatric surgery does not replace healthy habits, but may make it easier for you to consume fewer calories and be more physically active. Choosing healthy foods and beverages before and after the surgery may help you lose more weight and keep it off long term. Regular physical activity after surgery also helps keep the weight off. To improve your health, you must commit to a lifetime of healthy lifestyle habits and following the advice of your health care providers.”
While depression is often associated with being overweight, it rarely goes away on its own when that weight loss has been achieved. It is a standalone disorder in itself that requires medical help. India is starting to talk about depression only now thanks to the likes of actors like Deepika Padukone.
As the country battles an increasing burden of obesity and a bigger cohort of people who can afford weight loss surgery, the risks associated with it need to be understood and talked about in great detail.
