A student crippled with "excruciating pain" due her 32K-size breasts has slammed the system after she was told she would need to lose 3st before she could have surgery on the NHS.
Laney Mesa, 20, struggles to get out of bed due to the constant and agonising back pain, or shooting pains in her ribs, caused by the weight around her chest.
The trainee teacher from Kent claims she has "always had big boobs" from starting puberty, but by the time she reached her late teens her cup size had soared to K.
Mentally and physically exhausted by the pain, Laney extensively researched breast reductions and decided to approach her GP.
But after asking to weigh Laney - who measures 5ft6 and weighed 14st at the time - she claims the doctor said she would need to "go on a diet and lose 3st to get her BMI down to 27" before she was even eligible to be referred.
Laney told The Mirror: "I was devastated, I remember talking to my partner about it and balling my eyes out.
"I had really looked into all of the pros and cons of the surgery to show them how serious I was and that I fully understood what it involved.
"But it felt like I'd been told my worth was based on a number on the scales.
"I told them that my breasts probably weighed around that anyway and that was why I had come to see them but they just said that was the policy."
Body Mass Index is a measurement of a person's weight distribution which is calculated by simply dividing someone's weight by their height.
But many experts and professionals have criticised BMI as a simplistic measurement of someone's health, highlighting that it doesn't take into account important details like sex, age, bone structure or whether the weight is fat or muscle.
Arguing her case, Laney explained that the "majority" of her weight is carried on her chest and that by having the breast reduction surgery her weight would change substantially.
When her arguments were dismissed, Laney said she regretfully agreed to try and lose the weight.
But with an already healthy lifestyle and diet, the task to lose 3st was almost impossible and Laney decided to try for surgery with a new GP.
Finally after a year of fighting, Laney has won her referral, but has been told there is no guarantee she will be accepted for surgery.
If her case is dismissed, Laney says she will be forced to fundraise to pay for the surgery privately, which could cost over £10,000.
She said: "Some days the pain is so bad I can't even get out of bed.
"I feel like I'm hunched over whenever I walk because of my boobs and the pain they cause me.
"It is constant and excruciating.
"It feels like one massive knot in my back and there's nothing anyone can do to relieve it.
"I also get shooting pains in my ribs.
"I have permanent marks in my shoulders from my bra straps.
"I hate looking in the mirror even though I feel like I have learned to love the rest of my body, I will never be able to love my boobs.
"It's heart-breaking."
Now Laney is sharing her journey on Instagram (@LaneyFaithMesa) to raise awareness and create a body-positive community for other women who are going on the same journey.
She said: "I've had other people reach out to me and tell me that they are going through the same thing or wanting to know how I'm getting on with my journey.
"It's nice to have that community of people who understand what I'm going through but also to feel like I am helping other people along the way.
"I've had other women who don't understand what I'm going through tell me 'I'd love to have your problems', but they don't understand how painful it is.
"I have come a long way in feeling like a more positive person but I have said that no matter what I am going to get this surgery somehow."
After approaching Laney's former GP, Old West Road Surgery, in Gravesend, Kent told The Mirror: "The clinician is only allowed to follow guidelines according to that stated by the NHS" and "further guidance from the local Clinical Commissioning Group."
In this case, the NHS Kent and Medway CCG states that the patient must have a BMI less than 27 for at least 12 months prior to surgery.
A spokesperson for NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Clinical decisions are always made in a patient’s best interests after considering the risks and benefits. Referral and treatment criteria are evidence based and on this occasion the patient did not meet eligibility criteria.”
NHS England was also approached for comment.
