"It's the NHS's fault that I'm fat, not mine" say former world's fattest man

[The Dark Lord]

A man who once weighed nearly 70 stone is to launch legal action against the NHS, claiming they failed to help him as his size soared.
Former postman Paul Mason received life-saving gastric surgery last year binge-eating his way to gargantuan size.
But the 50-year-old, who now weighs in at a comparatively small 37 stone, said he should have been helped years ago.

Mr Mason, who was eating 20,000 calories a day at his heaviest, claims he sought help from his GP after ballooning to 30 stone.
Instead of receiving a treatment programme to manage his weight, he has complained he was told in 1996: 'Ride your bike more.'

He also says he was sent to a dietician, rather than the eating disorders specialist he had asked to see, after his weight hit 64 stone.
'I want to set a precedent so no one else has to get to the same size - and to put something back into society,' Mr Mason told The Sun.

He has pledged to put any compensation he receives if successful towards helping other obese people lose weight.
An NHS spokesman said of the purported lawsuit: 'As we have not heard from Mr Mason, it would be inappropriate to speculate.'
Mr Mason's care bill costs taxpayers an estimated £100,000 a year and is believed to have topped £1million over the past 15 years.
At the height of his binge eating, he was consuming 20,000 calories every day - ten times the recommended daily intake for a man.

Though he has vowed to help other people in need of weight loss operations, the cost of Mr Mason's condition will have enraged patients on NHS waiting lists, commentators said this week.

'It’s such a shame that so much time and resources have to go to help one person, these nurses will be sorely missed at a time when public finances are squeezed,' said Charlotte Linacre, Campaign Manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

'Although there is sympathy for people struggling with health issues, taxpayers will not feel this is a fair allocation of funds as they sit on waiting lists while footing the bill for his personal care.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1344930/Former-worlds-fattest-man-Paul-Mason-sue-NHS-weight-gain.html#ixzz1AMZtT8Km

[Fact]

'Although there is sympathy for people struggling with health issues, taxpayers will not feel this is a fair allocation of funds...'


Sympathy? Seriously, I think this country has been sucked dry of sympathy for pretty much anyone who uses up tax payers money, as far as I can see, thanks to shitty allocation of time and money by the government.

Also, with or without the NHS help, this man would probably have used up a similar amount of tax payers money even if he'd gotten help earlier. Where is his compensation going to come from exactly?

I could rage about this but what's the point. These kinds of situations will just continue cropping up again and again and again and again...

[PJay]

Who the hell was buying him the food? Where did his food money come from? I really hope this wasn't paid for by the NHS & benefit system. Edit: oh god I see it was

" he has complained he was told in 1996: 'Ride your bike more.' "
And did he? Did he go back to the Doc when riding his bike wasn't working? Whose fault is this really?

The most likely 'disorder' here is that he is a lazy stupid man. Of course he's going to blame (and sue) everyone else apart from himself.

[Sith Lord 13]

This is why nationalized healthcare is a poor choice for a country to make.

[PJay]

This is why nationalized healthcare is a poor choice for a country to make.

So you want him putting up your insurance premium instead? Can't see how thats any better. Fat dude still is getting several free lunches.

[Mrs.KermitTheFrogx]

theres a program on chanel 4 sometime about the words fattest man that costs tax payers £100,000 a day (about $200,000 or summot ?) i do not have any sympathy
i can control my weight and so can every other person on the earth !
even animals can do it so why cant he ?! !!!

[Fact]

i can control my weight and so can every other person on the earth !
even animals can do it so why cant he ?! !!!

It's not physical problems when a person gets to that stage IMO. There has to be some serious underlying mental issue that probably isn't apparent before it's a tad too late.

[The Dark Lord]

This is why nationalized healthcare is a poor choice for a country to make.

The NHS does a lot of good work, this is a very extreme example. However, I agree that someone like that should receive no taxpayer support, if you can't look after yourself, you can't expect gov't to do it for you.

[Sith Lord 13]

So you want him putting up your insurance premium instead? Can't see how thats any better. Fat dude still is getting several free lunches.

No, because either the private insurance covered the eating disorders specialist or it didn't. There's less grey area. Also, the insurance company could have dropped him, which may have helped the situation by giving him the reality check needed to get his life back on track. Also, there would be a lesser likelihood of a lawsuit as the exact coverage of the policy is spelled out and there is less leeway.

[Amnesiac]

This is why nationalized healthcare is a poor choice for a country to make.

I agree. The only type of government healthcare plan I endorse is a strictly limited one that covers those who both contribute to society (by being employed) and are completely unable to provide for themselves or their family. I don't think government funds (~$1.5 million according to the article) should be wasted on some man who obviously refuses to lift up his own weight (lol, puns).

[PJay]

No, because either the private insurance covered the eating disorders specialist or it didn't. There's less grey area. Also, the insurance company could have dropped him, which may have helped the situation by giving him the reality check needed to get his life back on track. Also, there would be a lesser likelihood of a lawsuit as the exact coverage of the policy is spelled out and there is less leeway.

And he'd have still not bothered to get on his bike when he was told by his doctor before that, and cost more money that he should have. Yeah i like the points you make there - sounds like a good way to go, but it all creates admin that still adds to the cost of the whole thing so its not perfect.

The thing is the media are selling papers because it looks like the NHS should have been tougher, and so its all going to get a lot of attention so I just hope the result is the NHS doesn't repeat this sort of thing.

[Daniel_]

What a dumb fuck.

[goat]

It's always someone else's fault.

[Azunite]

And I thought the British were thin and tall, pale skinned people

[Sith Lord 13]

And he'd have still not bothered to get on his bike when he was told by his doctor before that, and cost more money that he should have. Yeah i like the points you make there - sounds like a good way to go, but it all creates admin that still adds to the cost of the whole thing so its not perfect.

His life, he wants to eat himself to death that's his choice. If he wants to pay enough to get a private insurance to cover him, that's fine and good, but I shouldn't be forced to pay just because I live in the same country as him.

The thing is the media are selling papers because it looks like the NHS should have been tougher, and so its all going to get a lot of attention so I just hope the result is the NHS doesn't repeat this sort of thing.

Or they could dissolve the NHS, slash the citizens taxes, and let them buy their own health insurance for far less than they're paying in taxes.

[Mrs.KermitTheFrogx]

And I thought the British were thin and tall, pale skinned people

LMAO :}}
i wish i was tall&thin ... :/ x

[scuba steve]

And I thought the British were thin and tall, pale skinned people

We're not Nords Cengiz :P

[PJay]

His life, he wants to eat himself to death that's his choice. If he wants to pay enough to get a private insurance to cover him, that's fine and good, but I shouldn't be forced to pay just because I live in the same country as him.

Yeah, totally. It was worse than him just over eating though if I understand correctly - because he ended up with no income the state was basically paying for him to eat as much as he was i.e. providing benefits that paid for the food, for people to get it for him and presumably for people to feed it to him.

[The Dark Lord]

Or they could dissolve the NHS, slash the citizens taxes, and let them buy their own health insurance for far less than they're paying in taxes.

You try selling that to "progressive" Britain

[Sith Lord 13]

Yeah, totally. It was worse than him just over eating though if I understand correctly - because he ended up with no income the state was basically paying for him to eat as much as he was i.e. providing benefits that paid for the food, for people to get it for him and presumably for people to feed it to him.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is why socialism fails.

You try selling that to "progressive" Britain

That's your job. Mine is just to keep it from spreading over here.

[Cryofthewolf]

Sorry, but it is his fault that he is fat, not theirs, maybe his doctors and such, could have helped more or not, but when it comes down to it, his weight is his fault and his problem. He should be a bit more responsible for his self/actions.

[PJay]

This, ladies and gentlemen, is why socialism fails.
.
I dont claim to know anything about socialism (feel free to pm me cos i want to understand what you are on about) but this (i.e. what happened, not your reply :lol:) is just stupidity. Seems like a fixable problem : some bad calls were made, but mostly this is about one man being greedy, lazy and stupid.