Carol Flynn weighs 27 stone and her health is deteriorating rapidly. Her family fear that she is dying before their eyes, but are anxious about her resorting to surgery. However, Carol believes it is the only option for her and is eagerly awaiting her consultation with Shaw Somers. 28 year old Kathleen Brown is desperate for weight loss surgery. At 21 stone she has tried every diet under the sun, but nothing works for her. She is ready to go through with gastric bypass, but she can't get NHS funding for the operation. As a last desperate measure, Kathleen's mum turns the basement into a flat in order to sell it, in a bid to raise the £7,000 needed to pay for the private surgery. But will the band be as successful as Kathleen hopes? We also meet Jeff O’Shea. He is so thrilled with the gastric bypass surgery that helped him shed 15 stone–that he had the date of the operation tattooed on his arm.