Personally I support the CCG policy to watch patient weight prior to joint replacement surgery, but only if patients are provided with the right dietary advice that is proven to work long term for those following the protocols.

There is increasing evidence that when a patient is provided with the right advice, weight loss can be relatively fast thus enhancing the chance of more rapid recovery following surgery.

The emphasis here is on ‘right advice’.

The ‘Eat less and exercise more’ and/or ‘Calories in calories out’ advice is proven to be flawed as well as discouraging for patients.

Exercise is not essential for weight loss.

Obese patients are losing weight and then they find they are able to exercise.

Success for patients comes from eating real food free from processed foods.

Focusing on a diet that includes real fats, such as butter, cheese and olive oil, along with fresh non-starchy vegetables and meat whilst avoiding grains and starchy vegetables is helping many patients not only reduce their BMI remarkably easily and quickly they also improve many other health markers.

Fiona Benson,

Tedder Road, York