Overweight British patients said they should not be discriminated against or worse, made to pay for their own operation on account of their size.
The Associated Press reports that more and more doctors are refusing to take the risk and turning away obese people requesting for nonessential operations.
Those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30, considered obese by British and American standards, are first advised to lose weight before their surgeries could proceed.
The probability of surgical complications like infections and pneumonia is always higher in obese patients, British health authorities say.
But overweight British patients cry foul and claim discrimination.
For instance, 210-pound Frances Kinley-Manton who suffers from arthritis, was forced to mortgage her home to pay for a private hip operation in Malta.
Advocates say Kinley-Manton, with a BMI of 35 before her operation, is only one of the probably growing number of patients being denied optional surgeries because of their weight, according to the AP report.
In a 2006 survey, 40 percent of the 225 doctors surveyed agreed obese patients should be refused surgery if resources are limited.
But Dr. Timothy Bhattacharyya, spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, said the issue is hardly about financing the procedures.
"In a hip replacement, if the patient is obese, the doctor might not be able to see everything he needs to see," he said.
He also noted logistical problems among obese patients are common, including correctly positioning the body at the operating table. Recovery periods are likewise longer.
