Bennett defends her weight-loss operation decision
Former deputy prime minister Paula Bennett has gone public with her decision to have gastric bypass surgery, with a simple message: ‘‘haters can hate’’.
The deputy leader of the National Party underwent the weight-loss operation in late 2017. She posted on Facebook that she was now ‘‘at the beginning of what I plan to be a much healthier active life’’.
‘‘After years of weight gain and loss, I can see a clear path ahead.’’
Bennett underwent the surgery at a private hospital, and said she was recovering well.
She had thought ‘‘long and hard’’ about whether to go public, she said.
‘‘On one hand, it is no-one’s business but mine. Yet as a woman who has battled with my weight all my adult life, I didn’t want the innuendo and I wanted to be upfront with others who struggle about the choice I made.
‘‘The best reason for going public is I feel great about my decision and don’t care what others think.
‘‘So haters can hate – I’ll just keep ignoring them and do the best I can both personally and professionally.’’
Gastric bypass or bariatric surgery involves most of the stomach and a small part of the small intestine being disconnected from the passage of food.
This restricts food intake and stimulates hormones in the gut that suppress hunger and improves diabetes if present.
According to the Ministry of Heath, in the first year after a patient had had surgery, they could lose between 40 to 50 kilograms.
The operation is usually performed laparoscopically – or in layman’s terms, using minimally invasive keyhole surgery.
The MP for Auckland’s Upper Harbour electorate joins a growing list of politicians who have undergone variations of gastric surgery over the years, including former prime ministers Dame Jenny Shipley and David Lange.
Bennett declined to comment when approached by Stuff.