For the sake of clarity and honesty, let me introduce myself. My name is Vicki S and I work with obese people to ensure that they will maintain as healthy-a lifestyle as possible.

Last night's programme was SO COMPLETELY BIASED AND DISHONEST.
In the first place we are shown Salena in a minute bikini, without makeup, without hair style. The main comments from the public were in relation to Salena's body rather than her face, in fact her body was described as looking like it belonged to a 75 year old.......
At the end of the programme, following all the surgery and procedures we never again see Salena in the same bikini to make an informed comparison. We cannot see the raw results of her surgery and indeed, what we do see, is simply a make-over - fashion, hair and makeup.
Salena is then paraded along the beach and once again the public are asked her age....well, we know the drift of the programme.

It is, no doubt, Salena's choice to have had invasive weight loss surgery in the first place. It is, no doubt, Salena's choice to contact Maverick TV and share her experiences of the cosmetic procedures she then went on to have (who pays for these????)

However, the MOST DISTRESSING part of this programme was in the studio where Nicky brought out the cardboard cut-out of Salena at size 32. Nicky then proceeded to knock over the cut-out, tread on it and walk away reminding Salena that she had wasted the last 39 years of her life being fat.

Salena was upset, her upset was brushed aside.
At no time was her psychological state brought into question.

During the last 39 years Salena has raised a family, maintained a strong marriage and worked aswell. Was all this a WASTE of 39 years....I do not believe so.

In order to work with the 40% of the population who are struggling with body image, with body size, with long term health I do not believe it is in any way helpful for people to be told they are a waste of space and life if they are over a certain weight, or indeed if they LOOK a certain way.

Life does not change for the better simply because one look's different - in fact, rapid physical change can have an extremely detrimental effect on an individual and in the long term is not in any way a guide for good health.

Again for the purposes of clarity, please note I have contacted Nicky Hambleton Jones and Maverick TV.

I am not involved with the running of any websites or groups and this is entirely my own opinion.

I did not find the programme broadcast last night (30/08/2007) to be biased or dishonest in any way. I like the way that the programme is put together and I am aware of other make-over type programmes which I don't like.

The public were very honest in their comments when they said that if you just looked at Salena's face she appeared much younger that when you also looked at her body. One person did say that she looked 75 when they took everything into account, I happen to disagree with then. I would have put her in her early 50s face+body but there you go.

I agree that it is difficult to compair the before and after without dressing Salena in exactly the same outfit but I also comprehend why the outfits are different. Before - you what you see her at what could be described as her absolute worst. After - a bikini wouldn't be appropriate for many people due to the scarring still being very visable at that stage. The programme is not intended to be a medical documentory, in fact the surgery is only one part of helping Salena to look and feel better about herself and well as helping her to present herself better. As the programme is broadcast before the 9pm watershed it would not be appropriate to show any more that they did. I feel that the overall package benefitted her ammazingly well and I thought she looked fantastic at the end.

To the best of my knowledge Salena paid for her gastric banding operation herself. The surgery is free to Salena and they are provided free because Mr Stanek, Dr Hundle etc get lots of free publicity from the programmes.

Yes, I imagine that it was very upsetting to see the photograph of herself at her largest weight but I also saw Nicky Hambleton-Jones give her a hug and make sure she was OK. Salena's constant comment was one of 'I wanted to hate it but I can't' which tells me that she was given a lot of support that we didn't see. I don't think that Nicky was saying that Salena had wasted 39 years of her life by being fat. I thought that Nicky was making the point that the photograph was a stage that Salena wasn't going back to and that the future was looking up.

I didn't think that the programme or anyone in it was even hinting at the idea that Salena's life had been wasted up till then but I do think that the photographs of Salena up till then were showing that her size and dress sense were limitting her life.

For the record I am 33 years old. I had been obese all my life until I had weight loss surgery (doudenal switch) in 2006. I haven't lost all my excess weight yet but I know that I will have to have reconstructive plastic surgery at some stage in the next few year. While the fat I carry is reducing in size the skin has not the same ability to reduce. I have the bingo wings, the droopy boobs, the deflated balloon stomach, the horrible thighs and my backside is heading south looking for oil. I paid for my weight loss surgery myself from money that I had saved and I'm now trying to save enough for the plastics that I'll need later. I had tried lots of different diets and pills but none could help me gain the long term effects that I wanted. I know the effects on your health of obesity (I'm a qualified nurse) and as I have a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure controling my weigh was a high health priority. In my nurse traing it was emphasised that physical appearance can have a very profound effect on your psychological health.

Rapid changes in physical health and appearance can have a very detriment impact on your long term health if those changes are not made in a careful way but sometimes the benefits of rapid changes far outweigh the negative impacts which is why the decisions are all made with careful consideration.

I has so far lost 8st in weight and I hope to lose a little more. Being fat and hearing other people's comments whilst I was fat was soul destroying and I am looking forwards to being able to find clothes to fit me in most shops instead of having to shop in specialist ones.

Controlling my weight has been especially difficult for me in the last 6 years as I became disabled in a car accident. Since then I've been unable to return to work as a nurse and if I'm out of the house for any period of time I have to use a wheelchair. I would feel extremely honoured to be granted the chance to appear on a programme like 10 year yonger but sadly I don't think that they would be interested in someone with limited mobility.

After the programme I commented on the fact that her body was covered up at the end & apart from the makeup & hair she didn't look any different. I was disappointed as I would have liked to have seen her body after the surgery & seen if it had made a dramatic difference.

As far as I know there usually isn't enough time for all the healing to have taken place so the scars from the surgery are still quite red.

I'm in contact with Salena and she is very happy with the end results. She did tell me that a lot more was filmed that didn't make it into the programme and we are supposed to go WOW what a difference by the end - it is a makeover show after all.

I thought the programme was very good although as you say it was a shame that we didnt see her in her bikini after her transformation.
However - i did like the swimming costume!! I have recently lost quite a bit of weight and would love to know who makes it. I have noted that it is from John Lewis so i guess i will have to go there and have a look around.

This programme is a fiddle anyway, when they do the 1st poll, they always ask the public away from the subject, hence very honest opinions. whereas after they ask them next to the subject, and so people will be a lot kinder. Both these polls should be conducted in the same way, otherwise the whole thing is a farce.
Tonight's programme was stupid, no way did that women look 45, she still looked over 50!!!!