The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Woman who lost 8st rejected for surgery on excess skin
Slimmer told her BMI is too high for the procedure
A woman who was once obese has been rejected for cosmetic surgery to remove excess skin – despite losing over eight stone in 19 months.
Donna Comrie tipped the scales at 20st 9lbs after gorging on crisps, biscuits and takeaways.
The 46-year-old has ditched her bad comfort eating habits and cut her weight down to 12st 2lbs in a little more than a year-and-a-half.
Her weight loss has been so dramatic that the office administrator from Buckhaven has been left with “bingo wings” caused by excess skin.
But doctors will not refer the mum-offour for surgery because her body mass index is “too high” and have asked her to lose a further 11lbs.
Frustrated Donna says she has no choice but to lose even more weight in order to get surgery – which she fears will make her look older than she is.
She said: “Well I have lost so much weight and I have done it all on my own. If I didn’t feel so bad about my bingo wings I would be happy with where I am.
“When I spoke to my GP about it, I was told that I had to lose more weight because my BMI is too high. Apparently, it has to be 27 or half your original BMI.
“My BMI is 28.6 so they will not refer me. I’m left with no choice but to try and lose more weight.
“It’s just so annoying. You make all that effort to lose that weight and they just need you to lose more. I just feel like it will make me look older if I keep going.
“I’ve been on the waiting list for the adult weight loss program through the NHS since February last year.
“People seem to like the weight I am now and if they can take off the excess skin I would be below that BMI anyway.”
Donna says she has always been overweight since her childhood and she was bullied over it. But she joined her local Slimming World group in October 2016 and has not looked back since as she has gone from wearing a size 26 to a size 12.
The NHS were asked for comment yesterday.