New Zealand ` clean, green... (MUSIC WARPS) ...and fat. In the last year, nearly 70,000 extra New Zealanders became obese. Now most of us are fat. You are... morbidly obese. Do you know what the word 'morbid' means? It means 'deathly'. Premature death. 65% of adults are dangerously overweight, and South Auckland is the ground zero of our obesity explosion. The Manukau SuperClinic is on the front lines of this epidemic, treating over 1200 patients with controversial weight loss surgery. We remove about 80% to 90% of the volume of the stomach. Not much room for food. We've now spent two years with the most at-risk patients, and the specialist doctors and nurses dedicated to helping them through the highs and the lows of their weight loss journey. I'm anxious and scared, that's what I feel. I did this because eating was my safe place. It's where I went. Why are you doing it? For myself. I wanna do it for myself. I can't wait to tell people... 'stick it up your arse', really. (LAUGHS) (MONITOR BEEPS STEADILY) (MONITOR FLATLINES) (LAWNMOWER WHIRRS) 40-year-old stay-at-home mum Mel is no stranger to weight loss surgery. She currently has a gastric band, and she wants it out. This is my oesophagus, this is my band, and my stomach's down here. What it feels like is that I've taken this and we've tried to put coleslaw through it. Did anything go through? This is gonna hurt me. She gained weight after she worked out how to cheat the band... I tell you what, there is, like, nothing like a frosty. ...and became borderline bulimic as a result. (COUGHS, GAGS) Her biggest problem... Oh my God, this is awful. ...is now in her head. When I woke up, I had made myself a pancake with peanut butter, and I was sitting on the couch fixing to eat it. Mel is now eating in her sleep. So this is why we do need to get the psychologists involved. (LAUGHS) Yeah, it's time to get a shrink in. (LAUGHS) No, but we do. Seriously. In an attempt to take Mel's mind off food, Mark replaces the sausage with a shotgun. Yeah, when I was a little girl, I had my own .22, and we would go hunting squirrel. Yeah, that was like... And I was fine until I got a conscience, until I started realising that, 'Oh, it's an animal, and now it's dead.' Wow. I've never actually been inside of a shooting range type-thing. Do y'all do handguns? Yes, there is a handgun group who operate out of this facility. Yeah? I'd love to get my hands on one. (LAUGHS) My dad carries a pistol with him at all times, so... We're Americans, you know? Yes. That's what we do. The right to bear arms. That's it. That's what we do. (LAUGHS) Yay! So let's do so. Let's shoot! (LAUGHS) (GUN CLICKS) (REPEATED GUNSHOTS) (GIGGLES) That is addictive, man. It's like... wow. (GUNSHOTS) Did you like that? I did! I liked it a lot. You might have to buy me a gun. Well,... Whoo! ...so long as you don't use it on me. (LAUGHS) Mel feels better now, and she's finding the kids offer a welcome distraction from the perils of the kitchen. Let me start over here. (LAUGHS) All right. You make it look so easy. (LAUGHS) Is some of my stuff jiggling? You know I don't like that. (GRUNTS, LAUGHS) Maybe I need to get a good bounce and go. All right. Oh, it's so much fun. It really is. It's just` It's such a workout. I don't know how people would do it for more than one hour. You know, it's... Yeah, an hour is plenty. Especially to get my big butt off of the ground. I kinda realised I'm working against gravity. I definitely think that I'm on the right path to getting to where I can actually work out and... enjoy a workout, instead of dreading it, because it's going to hurt every part of my body. Over the next few weeks, Mel steps up the pace to lose the 5 kilos,... This is my last shot, and I really want it to count. I don't want to waste this opportunity. It's the taxpayer's money, and I don't want to use that and waste it. ...all in an effort to meet nurse specialist Cecilia's deadline for getting on to the surgical list. Hopefully I've met my number. We'll see, I guess, but I'm nervous. I am really nervous, um,... because, you know, I mean, I want to make sure that I get on the list. (SIGHS) My nemesis. (LAUGHS) Well, it is! It's an evil device. Nah, you'll be fine. Yeah. Hey, Mel. How are you? Hi! How are you? (LAUGHS) Happy new year. You too. Right. OK. So let's see what the score on the doors is. All right. (GASPS) Yay! Oh my God! Double figures. Come on in. Come on in. 99.8! Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) So scared! I was so scared! Oh! Yay! OK. Oh my God, I was so worried. You've really worked hard. What did you do, then? Starve. (LAUGHS) No, really. I did spend a lot of time not eating,... Yeah. ...which I'm grateful for now, but (SIGHS) then, I was just miserable. But it paid off! Yay! 99.8! If I could just... On official scales! Not just mine! (ALL LAUGH) So when we were with each other, one of the things that we were chatting about was psychological issues that you've gone through. Well, I actually feel better now. We'll just keep on working with you and moving forward. Yep. I feel better now, anyways. So what we need to do now is stay on track where you're at. Keep the weight where it is. We don't want you to go away and then go (WHOOSHES). You came in to us at 108 kilograms, and Mr Babor gave you a 5kg target, and you've nailed it. Well and truly nailed it. You're in the double digits. So that means we can now start moving you forward for surgery and we can get you on to the waiting list. Yay! Yep. I'm so excited. Thank you so much! (LAUGHS) It's lovely to see you. You too. Good to see ya. Pretty excited? Yes! I feel really good right now. I didn't think I was gonna weigh in that low, and that was really, really great. Double digits. (LAUGHS) I haven't seen double digits in a long time, so it was good. It seems the weight loss has resolved the sleep eating. Mel's lost the weight and is waiting for a date for surgery. Time to celebrate with good friend Debbie. What's your first thing you want to do when you get down to a size of your expectation? What would be the first shop you're excited to go? Um,... definitely lingerie. Lingerie? Yeah. Really? Well, because I find undergarments confining now, so, yeah, I want some bras and panties that match, and... yeah, some... some nice, cute, little` maybe some sleepwear? Ah. Some nice little negligees and stuff? It's all for Mark, though. I just want him to see it, and` How do you think Mark's gonna feel when he starts seeing, you know, more attention coming from... men, and that sort of thing, where he's never really experienced that in your relationship? Um,... well, Mark's not a jealous guy. I don't see any jealousy in him, but I do think he'll be like, 'Yeah, she's mine. Yeah. Don't you wish you had that?' (LAUGHS) And so you should! Mel, I think that, overall, your entire life will change. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Look at this. (LAUGHS) Well, if they're small, they might fit in something like that. That might be all the underwire you need after your surgery. I know! Just a little, teeny, tiny bit of underwire. But look at that. Mark would love that. And the cleavage would show right there. Peek-a-boo! (LAUGHS) Oh, and look at` matching panties. But look how tiny these things are. That's a size 8. OK, I wanna be an 8. You could be in there, Mel. That looks like baby underwear. So does this catch your eye? This is what you're excited to wear? Your matching...? Yes! I want matching underwear and stuff. I mean, why not, you know? (LAUGHS) 1 69-year-old William has been a model patient, religiously sticking to his diet and exercise routine. My heaviest, I was 160... 162, I think. Somebody called me Big Bill on Monday, and I thought... I thought, 'This won't last.' William's walking the talk. He badly wants weight loss surgery, but his dedication is because of a deeper motivation. I got married in 2000 to a lady in the South Island. About two months after we got married, she got diagnosed with melanoma. It was nursing her. I did the cooking, because she wasn't well, obviously. She'd have a little bite, and say 'I don't want any more.' So, rather than waste it, I ate it. What was happening then, I was having two meals. I must have got over 130kg by then. What was it? From 83. And I feel that... If I can lose the weight, it's gonna open so many more doors. I can do my exercising, I can... you know, a little bit more health, or a little bit better health, and, uh,... yeah. And I can do things that I was doing... you know, 10 years ago. 10 years ago, William was eating fish and chips up to four times a week, and bad habits are hard to break. (INDISTINCT CHATTER) Um, can I have a pottle of mussels, please? And, uh,... if I can get a piece of fish? A piece of the snapper. I can smell your fish and chips from home. (SHOP WORKER LAUGHS) That's a fresh fish, so it's a good thing. Yeah. Fresh fish, and a new leaf for William. It's good for you, though. I'll still be getting fresh fish. Yes, that's right. Thank you. He's discovering there's more to life than food. The 6XL's gonna be too big for me. And sartorial delights are top of the bucket list. For the past, sort of, five years or so, I've been frumpy, you know? I wore track pants and a sweatshirt. Now I'm in to clothes. I'm actually planning on what I'm gonna wear. And I'd like to get back in to a suit. (LAUGHS) Another 10 or 12 kilos, maybe more, and I can get in to it. Diet, exercise, losing weight. He's on a roll, but can his enthusiasm push him up the top of Mangere Mountain? I wanna be able to climb up there as an exercise thing. I don't have to do it every day or every week, but I can do it every now and again when the fancy takes me, you know? This is a challenge, isn't it? This is a challenge. I knew there were steps, but not all the way. I've got my atomiser, just in case. (CHUCKLES) (PANTS) I think, uh... (GASPS) I think we'll call it quits there, if that's all right with you. (PANTS) William has met his nemesis ` Mangere Mountain. At 106m, it's too much too soon. (EXHALES) William's best mate, Elizabeth, is a few steps behind him in her weight loss surgery. She's still getting her head around not eating. The food here, just the smell alone does it for me. (LAUGHS) Grandmother of six, Elizabeth loves to spoil the grandkids with treats... Cos the kids love it, eh? They love my apple pie. Here you are! Five cup chips and one fish. Yay! What do you say? Thank you so much! ...that also happen to be her favourite foods. It's about being together, and they love this. You know, um,... and they really appreciate it. Today, she's seeing nurse specialist Cecilia to see if she's lost the 10 kilos needed to qualify for surgery. She's confident a little pie won't interfere with her waistline. I might have not` may not show so much on the scales, but I know I've lost it in a dress. Hello, Elizabeth. Hi. So we're gonna check to see where your weight is today. Yeah. 35.2. Right. Oh, really? Come on in, and let's have a chat. (DOOR CLICKS SHUT) A couple of months ago, eight weeks ago, and your weight at the time is 139, and the challenge was 10kg. Yeah. You've lost 4kg. Are you doing much of exercises? Um,... at the moment, I'm not doing as much as I should be doing. Try and get in the exercise, and then what we'll do is come back again in eight weeks' time. Yeah. Yep. Shows real commitment. Mm. Yeah. Keep going. Yep. Baby steps, don't give up. Yeah. (SOMBRE PIANO MUSIC) How are you feeling? Kinda gutted. Yeah. I'm just pissed off with myself, cos it's nobody else's fault. It's mine, so... I've just gotta get out there and just exercise. But it's hard to let it go. . All right, so, this is Tim. 34-year-old male. RTC. Multi-vehicle... VOICES OVERLAP I think about the car crash a lot. I know he caused it and I reacted the best way possible. But it's hard to let it go. SOMBRE MUSIC When I asked what had happened to him, the doctors said he really wore the impact ` any more and things would've been much worse. They said he was lucky ` lucky I wasn't going any faster. Thank you. SOMBRE MUSIC CONTINUES It's OK. MUSIC CONTINUES It's OK. Chocolate steamed pudding. Snowball, that's good. Lisa's fighting a double-edged battle ` with food... There is nothing better. For some people, it's alcohol, some people, it's drug. For me, it's food. ...and her head She's struggling with obesity and depression. You know, negative thoughts, negative voices, saying... not so nice things. Dr Jai is Lisa's psychiatrist. He's supportive of bariatric surgery and has prescribed exercise and not just for weight loss. Any bit of exercise that you manage to do... Is beneficial. ...helps with your mood. I think it's about moving and making sure that you're getting that, even if it's a little bit of exercise. It's been four weeks, and Lisa is on the up. Come on! Even just cooking dinner, there's so much action going in to that. Would you have been able to do that a couple of weeks ago? No. No. Even just walking into the kitchen. For that whole four weeks, I'm ashamed to say that I never even ventured in to the kitchen. Making a cup of tea was incredibly hard. I couldn't do it, so Chris took over. I lost 4 kilos in that two weeks, and the main thing now is to try and keep that off. (DOGS YAPPING) Come on, boys. (PANTS) I'm so unfit. It's not comfortable. So we've only been going about two minutes. Yeah! I know. (LAUGHS) Sad. It's sad how unfit I am. Lisa goes up a gear. GYM INSTRUCTOR: Nice. And even starts to enjoy it. Nice. That's good. The kilos are starting to drop. Oh, that's beautiful. Nice and controlled. So she's gathering evidence of her weight loss. She's hoping that her effort will pay off when she meets surgeon Richard Babor. He said that if you can come in to that first appointment showing proven weight loss, then that makes things, um,... quicker for you, and he won't give me another... 8 kilos to lose. That's my biggest fear is I'll go in there, and, 'Look, I've been really good in the last nine weeks. I lost 8 kilos,' and he's gonna go, 'Great! You can lose another 8 in the next three months.' That would be my biggest... '(GROANS) Really.' Three weeks later, and Lisa has a chance to convince surgeon Richard Babor that she's already lost the weight. She's hoping to go straight to the surgery list. OK, hop down. Well, you can lose maybe 5 to 10 kilos for me, establish a regular pattern of exercise, we'll go ahead. What do you think? It's Lisa's worst fear. Richard wants her to lose more weight. What if I said I've already lost 7 kilos? Yeah, that's great. So just keep going. This is what I've been doing for 11 weeks since you did your talk. Yeah, I know. Um... I mean, it shows me that you're fully motivated. Trying. Oh, look. Today's 119. OK. We should just get on with things, and we'll try and get Cecilia to get you a date as soon as possible. I'm really pleased that you've really come on board with it, you know? And it's obvious that you're motivated, and, uh,... I think you're in a really good space. I do worry a little bit about your depression, but... you know, it's not unmanageable. Do I have a goal, or are you just quite happy for me to keep going? You've kind of achieved the goal that I'm after, so I'm just happy if you maintain this and lose a few more kilos, you know? OK. Lovely. Thank you very much. My absolute pleasure, yeah. Thanks for coming to support her. How are you feeling? Really pleased, because it worked. (CHUCKLES) No, it's really good, because I don't have a massive amount to lose. I can just maintain where I'm at. Maybe lose a little bit more. But I can enjoy Christmas and New Year and not worry about what I have to achieve to get this. It's on. It's on like Donkey Kong. So you can take me out to lunch to celebrate now, eh? (LAUGHS) Yeah, you need to get salad for lunch. Mm. Yeah. Captions by Cameron Grigg. Edited by Ingrid Lauder.