It's in the Blood

For as long as anyone can remember, fashion moguls have extolled the beauty of thin people while making those of us who might be described as portly feel like second-class human beings.

Diets proliferate and an industry has evolved around slimming.

As a result, most of us swing from fat to thin then back to fat again, and experience the frustration of failure.

Until now.

Pauline Primrose, Director of Nursing at the Nepean Institute, has made an astonishing breakthrough.

She noticed during her hospital career that some fat patients lost weight while some slim patients went home heavier than before admission.

She realised that the difference is caused by blood transfusions and traced the blood being administered to patients. Pauline found that people who were given blood from thin donors fared better than those who had "fat" blood.

She wants legislation passed to compel hospitals to reveal whether transfusions are of thin or fat blood so patients can choose.

The ACCC will need to rule as to whether a surcharge may be imposed when the blood donors are athletes or super models.