A mum flew more than 5,000 miles from home to "save her [own] life" after "reaching breaking point".
Emily Price, 24, weighed 23 stone at her heaviest, regularly eating whole pizzas, chips and chicken nuggets. The mum-of-one said she would struggle to keep up with Harrison, three, and had to rely on family members to play with him.
Student Emily, from Newport, South Wales, said her weight affected her mentally and she reached "breaking point". She knew she needed to do something about it, so she travelled to Latvia for surgery.
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Emily now weighs 12 stone, eats 1,200 calories a day, and finds it much easier to play with Harrison. And she says losing weight "saved her life".
Emily said: "I suffer a lot with my mental health and was pretty much at breaking point and didn't know what to do. Now I can move around without being out of breath, I can do things with my son.
"It's changed my life completely and improved my mental health. The surgery was funded by my family and kind of saved my life.
“It's been life changing. I've had to train my brain not to pick up the wrong foods and I’ve started going to gym which I never set foot in before I had the operation.”
Emily made the decision to go ahead with bariatric surgery after trying Slimming World and Weight Watchers diets for 10 years with no success. After researching clinics, she decided to travel to Latvia and paid £5k for a gastric bypass.
She went under the knife in May 2022 and says that she had a "really good experience" despite being nervous beforehand. After returning to the UK, Emily reached out for support on Instagram where she documents her weight loss journey.
Compared to last year when she would cover up in oversized hoodies and joggers, Emily said she’s enjoyed flaunting her new figure in shorts this summer.
Despite being left with loose skin, which she plans to get removed in March 2024, Emily’s blood pressure has stabilised, and she said she no longer struggles with shortness of breath.
Previously, Emily would eat takeaways or whole pizzas for dinner and skipping breakfast to snack more later in the day. But now she starts each day with a protein shake, before enjoying salads and healthy pasta dishes for lunch and dinner.
Emily added: "I'm a lot healthier now, I was diagnosed in pre-op tests with high blood pressure which has stabilised since surgery. I’m no longer out of breath constantly, I don’t sweat as much as I used to, and I can walk for long periods of time.
“People have noticed I've lost weight and I've had a lot of support from friends and family.
“Before I would live off chicken nuggets and chips, takeaways, pizzas, high carb and high fat foods and my son's leftovers – it's also made me more conscious of my son’s health.
“I can do a lot more with him like go down the slide at the park and I’m a lot more involved in his activities - before I would let family members take over as they were healthier.”
According to the NHS website weight loss surgery, also called bariatric or metabolic surgery, is sometimes used as a treatment for people who are very obese.
It can lead to significant weight loss and help improve many obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
But it's a major operation and in most cases should only be considered after trying to lose weight through a healthy diet and exercise.
Weight loss surgery is available on the NHS if:
- you have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, or a BMI between 35 and 40 and an obesity-related condition that might improve if you lost weight (such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure)
- you've tried all other weight loss methods, such as dieting and exercise, but have struggled to lose weight or keep it off
- you agree to long-term follow-up after surgery – such as making healthy lifestyle changes and attending regular check-ups
Speak to a GP if you think weight loss surgery may be an option for you. If you qualify for NHS treatment, they can refer you for an assessment to check surgery is suitable.
You can also pay for surgery privately, although this can be expensive.
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