980lb man needs livesaving operation

[Amby 490]

Doctors blame a British man's 20,000-calorie a day diet for causing him to balloon up to a whopping 980-pounds and leaving him in need of a life-saving operation.

Paul Mason, 48, needs a nearly $33,000 life-saving operation after a compulsive eating disorder left him "super-obese."

Mason scoffs three family-sized takeout meals a night and wolfs down roasts like snacks.

He has spent much of the past eight years in bed at his home in Ipswich in Suffolk, England.

His health care costs taxpayers an estimated $165,000 a year.

And now he needs drastic stomach surgery to curb his eating and keep him alive, which the country's National Health Services will have to foot the bill for.

Mason will travel in a 5-ton ambulance specially built for obese people at a cost of $148,000 to get the surgery.

Mason's girth may distinguish him as the world's fattest man. The previous world's fattest man, Manuel Uribe, once weighed an unbelievable 1,230 pounds, but has lost more than 500 pounds after following a specially designed, low-carb diet.

"This man is very ill and this is life-saving surgery," a National Health Services Suffolk spokesman said of Mason. "The nature of his illness is psychological and the NHS has a duty to help him. He is in a very fragile state and needs help. We are exploring all options for transporting him from his home to hospital but we have now ruled out an airlift."

"The most important aspect of transporting him is preserving his dignity and looking after his safety. We have not had anything like this before," the spokesoman added.

Susie Squire, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "While it is important to get this man the medical attention he needs, cost-effective methods must be used."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568634...test=latestnews there's a link to photos this link

[Ban Hammer 13,678]

michael moore has met his match.

[SMR 368]

Doctors blame a British man's 20,000-calorie a day diet for causing him to balloon up to a whopping 980-pounds and leaving him in need of a life-saving operation.

Paul Mason, 48, needs a nearly $33,000 life-saving operation after a compulsive eating disorder left him "super-obese."

Mason scoffs three family-sized takeout meals a night and wolfs down roasts like snacks.

He has spent much of the past eight years in bed at his home in Ipswich in Suffolk, England.

His health care costs taxpayers an estimated $165,000 a year.

And now he needs drastic stomach surgery to curb his eating and keep him alive, which the country's National Health Services will have to foot the bill for.

Mason will travel in a 5-ton ambulance specially built for obese people at a cost of $148,000 to get the surgery.

Mason's girth may distinguish him as the world's fattest man. The previous world's fattest man, Manuel Uribe, once weighed an unbelievable 1,230 pounds, but has lost more than 500 pounds after following a specially designed, low-carb diet.

"This man is very ill and this is life-saving surgery," a National Health Services Suffolk spokesman said of Mason. "The nature of his illness is psychological and the NHS has a duty to help him. He is in a very fragile state and needs help. We are exploring all options for transporting him from his home to hospital but we have now ruled out an airlift."

"The most important aspect of transporting him is preserving his dignity and looking after his safety. We have not had anything like this before," the spokesoman added.

Susie Squire, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "While it is important to get this man the medical attention he needs, cost-effective methods must be used."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568634...test=latestnews there's a link to photos this link

An airlift. Did someone actually get paid to rule that out? I mean, yeah, you might have considered a twin rotor Chinook, but that seems like the wrong idea.

The problem in this story is that someone kept bringing him roasts and takeout meals. I realize he can order them for himself. But considering he can't get to the hospital, he can't get to work. He can't get to work, someone else is paying for the roasts. If you have any compassion at all, you don't buy someone three takeout meals in one evening. You realize they have a problem and seek professional help.

[Nagishkaw 510]

They need to operate on his elbows to keep him from bending them .

[The_Dude 1,142]

Doctors blame a British man's 20,000-calorie a day diet for causing him to balloon up to a whopping 980-pounds and leaving him in need of a life-saving operation.

Paul Mason, 48, needs a nearly $33,000 life-saving operation after a compulsive eating disorder left him "super-obese."

Mason scoffs three family-sized takeout meals a night and wolfs down roasts like snacks.

He has spent much of the past eight years in bed at his home in Ipswich in Suffolk, England.

His health care costs taxpayers an estimated $165,000 a year.

And now he needs drastic stomach surgery to curb his eating and keep him alive, which the country's National Health Services will have to foot the bill for.

Mason will travel in a 5-ton ambulance specially built for obese people at a cost of $148,000 to get the surgery.

Mason's girth may distinguish him as the world's fattest man. The previous world's fattest man, Manuel Uribe, once weighed an unbelievable 1,230 pounds, but has lost more than 500 pounds after following a specially designed, low-carb diet.

"This man is very ill and this is life-saving surgery," a National Health Services Suffolk spokesman said of Mason. "The nature of his illness is psychological and the NHS has a duty to help him. He is in a very fragile state and needs help. We are exploring all options for transporting him from his home to hospital but we have now ruled out an airlift."

"The most important aspect of transporting him is preserving his dignity and looking after his safety. We have not had anything like this before," the spokesoman added.

Susie Squire, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "While it is important to get this man the medical attention he needs, cost-effective methods must be used."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568634...test=latestnews there's a link to photos this link

First bold statement: That is going to embolden more people against any sort of public option for healthcare here in the U.S.. I'm in favor of a national health service, but even I can't stand to pay for something like that.

Second bold statement: Seriously? We've gotten to that point as a society that there is a company that specifically manufactures ambulances for people that fat?

Third bold statement: ** his dignity, fatty needs to be displayed in a glass case and charge admission on the way to the hospital to pay for his medical costs.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Naturally the folks in the spin zone will use this as ammunition against healthcare reform.

The NHS is obliged to treat this man, the philosophy behind national healthcare doesn't discriminate against extreme individuals. Nor should it really.

[alienlovechild 75]

He has spent much of the past eight years in bed at his home in Ipswich in Suffolk, England.

His health care costs taxpayers an estimated $165,000 a year.

Gotta that love NHS. No incentive for patients change eating habits until a 5 ton ambulance wisks Mr. Mason off to surgery. It's like a Simpsons episode featuring Homer.

We've got our own megaobese Americans but who pays for their food? How do they get the food to the beds?

[The_Dude 1,142]

He has spent much of the past eight years in bed at his home in Ipswich in Suffolk, England.

His health care costs taxpayers an estimated $165,000 a year.

Gotta that love NHS. No incentive for patients change eating habits until a 5 ton ambulance wisks Mr. Mason off to surgery. It's like a Simpsons episode featuring Homer.

We've got our own megaobese Americans but who pays for their food? How do they get the food to the beds?

Right on cue.

You are psychic Pike. What do you charge for your sessions? BTW, do you do tea leaves?

[HAL 9000 96]

Naturally the folks in the spin zone will use this as ammunition against healthcare reform.

The NHS is obliged to treat this man, the philosophy behind national healthcare doesn't discriminate against extreme individuals. Nor should it really.

[Peikko 1,575]

As if somehow this guy would have been different if he'd been living under a different system of health care. He has an eating disorder - one that I don't understand but that's beside the point.

There is no public consensus to change the system in the UK - even the conservatives will ring fence the NHS when they (probably) assume power next year

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I'm surprised he's still alive at that weight.

[HAL 9000 96]

I'm surprised he's still alive at that weight.

There are a great many things you don't know young Padawan.

[alienlovechild 75]

As if somehow this guy would have been different if he'd been living under a different system of health care. He has an eating disorder - one that I don't understand but that's beside the point.

You got closer to the issue than Rob and Mel but that's the normal for him/her.

You're telling the treatment for morbid obesity is more food in the UK? C'mon, it the state assumes responsibility for care, then hasn't done a good job for 8 years with Mason. Missed the part about how we have fat people here, too?

It's beside the point to recommend a treatment for a patient or the public policy implications? Eh, why bother. It's not like obesity is major problem here or that we're going to have the government pay for healthcare here.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

His problem is part physical and part psychological.

But I rather think that 980lb people are in the minority, in Britain or anywhere else.

[panamania79 2]

Doctors blame a British man's 20,000-calorie a day diet for causing him to balloon up to a whopping 980-pounds and leaving him in need of a life-saving operation.

Paul Mason, 48, needs a nearly $33,000 life-saving operation after a compulsive eating disorder left him "super-obese."

Mason scoffs three family-sized takeout meals a night and wolfs down roasts like snacks.

He has spent much of the past eight years in bed at his home in Ipswich in Suffolk, England.

His health care costs taxpayers an estimated $165,000 a year.

And now he needs drastic stomach surgery to curb his eating and keep him alive, which the country's National Health Services will have to foot the bill for.

Mason will travel in a 5-ton ambulance specially built for obese people at a cost of $148,000 to get the surgery.

Mason's girth may distinguish him as the world's fattest man. The previous world's fattest man, Manuel Uribe, once weighed an unbelievable 1,230 pounds, but has lost more than 500 pounds after following a specially designed, low-carb diet.

"This man is very ill and this is life-saving surgery," a National Health Services Suffolk spokesman said of Mason. "The nature of his illness is psychological and the NHS has a duty to help him. He is in a very fragile state and needs help. We are exploring all options for transporting him from his home to hospital but we have now ruled out an airlift."

"The most important aspect of transporting him is preserving his dignity and looking after his safety. We have not had anything like this before," the spokesoman added.

Susie Squire, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "While it is important to get this man the medical attention he needs, cost-effective methods must be used."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568634...test=latestnews there's a link to photos this link

Things like food are more expensive in the UK than they are here so my question is : HOW THE HELL COULD HE AFFORD ALL THIS FRIGGIN' FOOD ?