Fern Britton Gastric Band
Television presenter, Fern Britton was not always large. After her first three pregnancies her weight began to increase to an unhealthy level. In 2006, to help her health Fern decided to have a laparoscopic gastric band fitted as none of the diets or exercise regimes she had tried had worked.
Before the operation
When Fern decided to try for another baby in 2002 she knew she would probably never get her figure back. Her children have never known her ‘thin’ Fern says, although she is happy that her sons have seen the figure of a ‘real woman’. As the pounds began to pile on after the birth of her daughter, Fern began to get concerned about her health. She made a conscious effort to exercise and stick to diet’s, though no matter what she tried she could not lose the weight.
Suddenly in 2006 her GP announced that her sugar and cholesterol levels were not ok, after years of them being fine. Fern’s doctor told her that she needed to do something about her weight and they began to discuss her options. Fern had tried numerous methods of weight loss that her doctor had suggested to no avail. Her doctor then suggested gastric banding.
The operation
Fern agreed to have a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band operation. She was 49 and knew that if she did not change her weight soon she would soon not be able to. Her operation went ahead on 18 July, 2006. During the operation, the surgeon makes some small incisions in the abdomen. Then using some small tools and a surgical camera for guidance a circular band is placed around the upper part of the stomach and locked into place. This decreases the size of the stomach to one sixth of its original size, enabling the patient to feel fuller quicker and for longer. After the operation all Fern could see were five small scars on her midriff.
After the operation
Following the operation, Fern began to follow the diet she had been prescribed. She began to lose weight at around one pound per week. As Fern began to lose weight she began to think of the emotional reasons as to why she had put so much weight on after meeting her second husband. Fern realised that she was scared of depression and ending up with nothing which had happened to her before.
Two years after the operation, Fern’s body mass index was in the normal range. Although it was some time since her operation the media started to get increasingly focussed on her weight loss. At the time of her operation, Fern had told no-one except for her husband that she was having the procedure. This all changed however when the press discovered the truth. When previously asked about how she had lost so much weight Fern had hidden the truth by saying it was down to exercise and a healthy diet, though now she was being hounded by the media who had turned its obsession of women and their sizes onto her. Fern received messages of support from the general public through this time and is really glad that she had the procedure done.
