Lorraine Kelly under fire over "guzzle deep fried lard" weight loss op comments

The broadcast watchdog Ofcom is assessing nearly 20 complaints made after she said the surgery was "the easy option" and allowed people to "guzzle deep fried lard".

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The remarks came as she was discussing, with TV doctor Dr Hilary Jones, a study by Bristol University that concluded the NHS should be performing 10 times as many gastric band surgeries as they are.

It would mean around 1,000 surgeries a week, or 50,000 a year, to help battle the UK's obesity crisis.

On her Lorraine show the presenter says that it will "cost a fortune" but that the study claimed it would save money in the long run.

Dr Hilary had argued that if too many had gastric band surgery it would bankrupt the NHS but also argued why there needed to spend money on the surgeries when the money might be better spent on stopping people becoming obese in the first place.

"People can lose the weight through natural means rather than invasive...surgery. So why not address that and help everybody to stop getting fat in the first place."

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Kelly replied in the show that aired on May 12: "Don't you think it is giving people the easy option. Oh, it's okay, I will just guzzle deep fried lard because someone will just come along and give me an operation, so it's fine. Some people have a weird relationship with food and you've got to get to the root of that.

"Crazy, absolutely crazy."

One complainer Layla Whitehouse said: "I think you need to re-think your choice of words! Disgusting way to talk about people having a weight loss operation!!!!!"

The researchers had found that those who go under the knife can transform their lives with spectacular weight loss and a return to employment.

But of the 2.6 million people who they claimed qualify for gastric band surgery, according to the NHS's own guidelines, only one per cent actually receive the treatment.

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The study said that from the 22 controlled trials they conducted they found bariatric surgery to be more effective and cost effective for the treatment of severe obesity than non-surgical measures after two years.

Professor Jane Blazeby, co-director of the University of Bristol’s Centre for Surgical Research, defended the study's findings.

She said: "In many cases bariatric surgery is the right choice for many people who have severe and complex obesity. It improves their quality of life and often enables them to achieve things that had become impossible.

" For some people, bariatric surgery is one episode in the lifelong chronic disease of obesity. Bariatric surgeons in the NHS are pioneers and champions of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to patient care, ensuring that we get the best possible results in both short and long term.

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"In our surgeries we see that bariatric surgery plays a vital role in helping people who suffer ill-health because of their weight - and it saves the NHS money at the same time. Prevention is better than cure but, when it is required, bariatric surgery is effective and safe."

An Ofcom spokesman said they were to assess the complaints before deciding whether to launch a formal investigation.

Kelly, 56, who has been a staple of breakfast TV for over two decades - recently showed off a bright pink bikini for a splash-around in the pool to encourage her fans to get ready for the summer with “Bikini Promise + One”, saying: “If I can do it, then you can too”.

The ITV presenter’s campaign calls on viewers to get together with their “plus one” – a friend or partner – and support each other to get fit and healthy with a summer food and fitness plan.

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