Too many people are seriously overweight. If you're piling on the pounds but want to lose stones, then there are many ways to achieve this. Reporter Julian Howson considers surgery, diet and exercise.

THE idea of going under the knife as a way of losing weight may seem shocking. But for a growing number of people, surgery is becoming the option of choice.

According to the latest statistics, one in five adults in the UK is now clinically obese and almost one in 100 fall in to the morbidly obese category.

This means that thousands of people across west London could be on a collision course with very serious health problems unless drastic action is taken.

Sarah Flynn, the communication officer for Chiltern and South Bucks Primary Care Trust, says: "Many medical problems are made worse by being overweight. Every year 40,000 working days are lost due to medical complications of being overweight.

"It is estimated that 30,000 people die prematurely each year because of ill health linked to their weight and those lives are shortened by an average of nine years."

Rising levels of obesity has been well documented but the messages of dieting and exercise has come too late for some people.

One company is aiming to help those people for whom surgery is the only option Obesity Surgery Direct, based in Berkshire, is a company which has been launched to help morbidly obese people who are willing to try the last resort in weight loss.

Experts at the company say benefits are well proven but insist that surgery is by no means a quick-fix solution. Long-term weight loss requires long-term medical support and willpower if an operation is to be successful.

Janet Edmond, director of the British Obesity Surgery Patient Association, explains that obesity is often sensationalised by the media and that the disease affects people even though they may not seem excessively overweight.

She says: "It is important to understand that this new service is not for super obese' people 15 or more stone overweight the ones we so often see on TV.

"Being seven stone or 100lb overweight will render you morbidly obese. It may sound a lot but these are normal people, with normal jobs and normal everyday lives who suffer the disease of obesity they are fat, but also reasonably healthy."

She adds: "Surgery is a major step for someone to take. We hope to provide useful independent information."

However, the local primary health care trusts advocate a more traditional route to weight loss.

Sarah says: "Changes to diet and physical activity are the key to any obesity treatment.

"The frequency and timing of meals is important. Skipping meals can lead to increased hunger and the risk of bingeing. Regular physical activity 30 minutes a day is vital to help prevent weight gain/regain."

She added: "As well as planned physical activity people can also incorporate more exercise into their daily routines.

"Use the stairs instead of the lift, get off a bus stop earlier and add an extra ten minutes to your walking time or go for a walk during your lunch break."