Michelle Bowater
Michelle Bowater (MCIPD)
Managing Director

Profile

Michelle has over 17 years experience in Human Resources, Recruitment, Training and Development within both the public and private sectors.

She was an obese child, adolescent and adult, in August 2004, after much deliberation, she underwent weight loss surgery.

Having lived the 'journey' she then went on to work for surgery providers in the marketplace and developed a passion for helping patients fully understand the benefits and pitfalls of the surgery - after losing 14 stone she is a great example of 'how you can live the dream' and still works tirelessly with patients who are struggling along the way...

She has an in depth working knowledge of the marketplace and a proven track record in developing minimum core standards for pre and post operative processes enabling her to offer a tailored service with the greatest possible impact for both the business and the patient.

Wendy Stubbs
Wendy Stubbs
Bariatric Nurse Director

Profile

Wendy qualified as a nurse in 1982 and following her love of children became a neonatal nurse before having her own family.

She went on to be a Senior Theatre practitioner and also managed a post anaesthetic care unit which is where she learnt more about weight loss surgery.

She was invited to join the obesity team in Leeds as a specialist weight loss surgery nurse and quickly developed a passion for the patient journey and this shines through in her day to day work.

In 2003 she was one of the founder members of the BOSS HCA, providing support and training for regional theatre teams, nurses and practitioners and also developed one of the first support groups in the country and a 'drop in' centre for weight loss surgery patients.

Wendy completed her gastric band adjustment training in early 2006 and is always willing to work with patients who are struggling along the way, her standard of care is second to none.

Not only does Wendy work very closely with patients she also develops and delivers weight loss surgery training programmes for other providers.

I am committed to you and your patients' success. I pride myself on the pre and post operative care I have given to patients over the years and can honestly say I love what I do. I too am passionate about making that difference to someone's life. As I tend to be the clinician facing the patient at reviews it can be an emotional journey to see the patient go from strength to strength - I have shed many tears with patients who have achieved great things along their journey , this makes the hard work all worth while . I feel as though I am helping them get their lives back and that is a precious gift. I pride myself on helping you through the fear and despair to give you health and hope. After having worked for other weight loss surgery providers I am proud to be part of a service that I know is going to deliver such great results for patients and the people around them.

Latest News

Obesity is an epidemic - Scientists' new report warns that around half of Britons will be seriously overweight by 2050 Obesity will cost �45 billion a year by 2050 if the epidemic is not brought under control through dramatic changes across British society, a landmark government inquiry into the problem will warn this week. Soaring rates of diabetes, strokes and heart disease caused by more Britons becoming fatter will cost the NHS alone �6.5bn. But other consequences, such as obese people being unable to work, will add a further �38.5bn to the bill, according to the Foresight report by a team of eminent scientists. The �45bn figure is a colossal increase on the assessment of �7bn annually, produced by the House of Commons health select committee in 2004. Read the full story at: - http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2190844,00.html Source and copyright: - www.guardian.co.uk
Britons are getting fatter - Reports that Britons are getting fatter are wrong - only some are, according to research published this month.16-10-2007 Thin people remain as thin as ever whilst the overweight continue to pile on the pounds, according to the Cancer Research UK study. The researchers found that over the last decade the average male waist increased by about two inches - 3.48 cm - whilst women’s increased by more - 4.35 cm. The proportion of under 45-year-olds who are "morbidly obese" doubled during this period. Office jobs, sedentary lifestyles, takeaway meals and snacking were blamed for the increase - although other commentators have also blamed binge drinking. The study found that from 1994 to 2004 the proportion of men who are obese increased from 13.4 per cent to 22.7 per cent. The proportion of women increased from 15.8 per cent to 22.4 per cent, according to the report published on-line by the International Journal of Obesity. Read the full story at: - http://www.staffnurse.com/nursing-news-articles/fat-britons-get-fatter-2671.html Source and copyright: - www.staffnurse.com
Primary school children overweight - Daily Mail 08 October 2007 [Colin Waine] A third of children leaving primary school in some areas of the country are overweight, official figures have revealed. A "snapshot" of the health of the nation's children showed that the young are getting fatter despite Government pledges to act. The latest figures are part of a nationwide survey of children's weight commissioned by the Department of Health. Although the full results will not be known until next Spring, ten primary care trusts have released their results under the Freedom of Information Act. These show that on average a quarter of children are already obese or overweight when they start school at the age of five. And in some areas the figure rises to a third by the time pupils enter secondary school at 11. Worryingly, although both figures are up on previous years, experts have warned they could still be underestimating the problem - as the parents of heavier children are less likely to agree to have them weighed. The findings suggest the Government cannot achieve its target of halting the rise in childhood obesity among under-11s by 2010. Colin Waine, said: "These figures make disturbing reading when you think about the implications for the future health of these children and the demands they will make on the NHS. What particularly worries the NOF is that these children are in grave danger of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers." The latest statistics showed the Isle of Wight has the biggest problem. Almost 30 per cent of children starting primary school there are overweight or obese, and the figure climbs to 34 per cent by the time they leave. At the other end of the scale is Exeter, where 20 per cent of children are overweight when they start primary school, compared with 27 per cent at the age of 11. In Suffolk, 23 per cent of reception year pupils were overweight, rising to 33 per cent by the final year. In Bath and North-East Somerset the figures were 23 per cent and 28 per cent. The latest figures come after the Department of Health commissioned Health Trusts around England to weigh and measure primary school children in an attempt to monitor the increasing rate of childhood obesity. For the past two years, all youngsters have undergone the checks at five and 11 years old. But the first round last year was regarded by some as a costly flop because thousands of parents refused to give consent for their children to take part. Ministers wanted all pupils to be tested, but fewer than half the target of one million children submitted to the checks. Parents of heavier children were more likely refuse to take part, with many citing a fear of playground bullying as the reason. This year trusts were given a target of 80 per cent involvement. Last year's survey found 22.8 per cent of five year-olds and 31.1 per cent of 11-year-olds were overweight or obese, with boys fatter than girls at both ages. The number of fat older children has doubled in ten years with one in four of those aged between 11 and 15 now classified as obese - so fat it threatens their health. Almost half of girls in this group are obese or overweight. Information about a child's weight is currently available to parents only by request. But the Government is considering making it routine for parents to be told if their child is overweight or obese. Obesity has trebled since the 1980s and costs the UK £2.3billion a year in health and other costs - a figure expected to rise to £2.6billion by 2010. A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "Tackling childhood obesity is a top priority - through better health education at school and at home, in the wider promotion of healthier living, investing in the best ever sports and PE provision inside and outside school and the Olympics. "We absolutely recognise that we must go further and faster."
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