Channel 4 Shut-Ins

There are 50,000 people currently super morbidly obese in the UK and Channel 4 programme, Shut-Ins, is exploring the impact this is having on peoples’ lives.

In the first episode, aired on Wednesday 9thJanuary, we meet mother-of-two, Claire who weighed 31 stone leaving her bed bound in her living room and in need of round-the-clock care from her youngest daughter for eight years.

In the show Claire described being a ‘prisoner’ in her own home as ‘the worst way to die’ – but with help from bariatric surgery, Claire’s life has been has turned around.

Claire,  struggled with her weight from an early age, had a difficult upbringing and was never close to her mother. ‘Back then, I used food to comfort myself because I didn’t have anything else,’ she explained.

By the time she was 21, Claire was married and already weighed 20 stone – but as the years passed she continued to pile on the pounds. Her weight has left her with life-threatening health problems. She’s plagued with constant skin infections and parts of her body have become abnormally swollen.

In the show, our expert surgeon, Nick Carter, explained that the only way Claire would ever be able to leave her house would be to have bariatric surgery.

‘It’s crucial Claire will have surgery because without it she’ll die younger and the complications she’s having at the moment will multiply,’ he said.

‘It’s fair to describe her as a ticking time bomb.’

Now, surgery has helped her slim down to 23 stone and give Claire the chance to get out and about by herself.

‘The last time I went out on my feet was 10-12 years ago,’ said Claire.

This was a very honest look at the impact bariatric surgery can have on people’s lives. If you missed the show don’t worry you can catch up on All 4 here.