Obese woman wants 'risky' surgery

Maxine Wood of Derby has dieted unsuccessfully for years

A woman who weighs 27-stone (378-lb) and has been turned down for gastric surgery on the NHS says she is determined to get private treatment.

Maxine Wood of Chaddesden in Derby, wants the stomach-shrinking surgery after failing to lose weight by dieting.

Her family and friends are planning a series of fund-raising events to pay for the operation privately.

NHS consultants in Derby said a gastric bypass operation was too risky.

Mrs Wood said she had tried different diets over the years but they all failed to solve her weight problem.

"I have dieted since age 8 and I have yo-yo dieted for years and it has never been a success."

She is worried that her weight problems will kill her by causing a stroke or heart attack.

"I don't want to die - I want to be around for years and want to be with my husband," she told BBC News.

Adrian Wood will walk from Derby to Skegness dressed as Elvis

Professor Michael Larvin of Derby Hospitals said: "It is always a disappointment for patients.

"We always try to make it clear that we have not closed the door.

"It may be that they need treatment or support or to lose a little weight to allow the operation to make the operation safe.

"We will then put them back into the assessment process a little later on."

Her husband Adrian Wood will dress as his hero Elvis Presley during a sponsored 114-mile walk from Derby to Skegness in the hope of raising £12,000 for a private operation.