If we had an operation that could prevent cancer, or diabetes, you would think that would be a straightforward sell. But the position in relation to bariatric surgery isn't so simple.

The term refers to anti-obesity treatments including gastric bands, stomach stapling or sleeves, and other methods designed to reduce stomach capacity.

Effectively, we have artificial limits on the availability of the procedure, and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has just been advised to almost treble the number of people to whom it is offered.

When more than half the population covered by the health board are overweight or obese, even an increase from 40 to 108 operations seems modest, especially in the light of research which increasingly suggests helping morbidly obese patients lose weight can reduce the risk of heart attack, cancer and diabetes.

We do not limit the number of patients who can be offered hip replacements, for example, so it is hard to understand why stomach-shrinking surgery is effectively rationed.

Some potential patients are rightly turned down. Such interventions are still viewed as a last resort and a candidate must be motivated to change. While surgery can help, tackling wider problems, such as a dependency on food for comfort can mean a need to address psychological issues, as well as physical ones.

However there is also an air of judgement about the practise. Offering bariatric surgery too widely, some say, might discourage dieting, encourage some people to eat what they want relying on later surgery, to fix any problems.

Such a view is misguided and rather offensive. Noone would choose the plight of the severely overweight - unable to climb stairs, or walk significant distances in comfort, perhaps needing deodorant to counter sweating between creases of skin.

Equally, it must be acknowledged that it is very hard for some people, once they have reached a certain body mass index, to lose weight without outside intervention.

There is a wider social context in which some people find it very difficult to resist a culture where rich foods, fast foods and sweet treats are widely, cheaply available and constantly advertised.

The stigma attached to obesity is significant and those who come forward for it are screened. But beyond that, clinical need should be the only limiting factor, not artificial cut off points. Healthy diet and lifestyle work and other prevention should continue to be funded. But not only is offering this surgery humane, it is very clear that it can save the health service money in reducing more expensive health needs. This should please both NHS medics and accountants.