Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to revisit an issue I’ve brought forward to this House before, bariatric surgery. As Members know, over the last two years I’ve been working hard to lose weight. I’ve lost just over 200 pounds.
---Applause
I appreciate that, but I’m working to pay it forward to the people that are still in the situation where they are seriously overweight. In my discussions with the Minister of Health and the Department of Health, they’ve told me the department is working on lifestyle choices, healthy lifestyle choices, and that they have lots of support out there for people who want to lose weight. I don’t disagree with that. I know, as that individual two years ago, I had lots of support. I had nutritionists, dieticians, diabetic nurses that helped me out as much as they could.
But I’m not talking about people who need to lose 20 or 30 pounds, people who are slightly overweight. I’m talking about people who need to lose 50, 100, 200 pounds just to be in the normal weight category. It’s not just a matter of just saying if you eat a little more veggies and exercise. When you’re 403 pounds, you go and exercise one day, you have that ability, the next day it hurts, it hurts a lot, so you can’t do this on a steady basis.
There are people out there who need this kind of weight loss and need additional help. Bariatric surgery provides that help, allows them to limit their food intake and assists them in losing weight, so when they do exercise, they see the results immediately.
The department has told me that they have done a cost estimate of the nutrition program and the costs attached to it. I understand that, but the costs that I’m talking about are other costs involved.
When I was 403 pounds, I was on insulin, Metformin, blood pressure pills, water pills and the GNWT was getting charged anywhere from $800 to $1,000 a month.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my speech.
---Unanimous consent granted
At that cost of $800 to $1,000 a month, which I was costing the GNWT every month, I have since then been able to get off of insulin, I haven’t eliminated Metformin yet, I have gotten rid of water pills, and because I am on Metformin still, I need a blood pressure pill. Most of those costs are gone, Mr. Speaker. So the costs associated that are saved could be put towards bariatric surgery. That would be repaid within a year to two years, depending on the types of medications an individual is on.
I will have questions for the Minister of Health today to convince him and the department that this is a necessity for people who are seriously overweight. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
