"Rs 6.5 Lakh, 2.5-Hour Weight Loss Surgery In India": How This New Zealand Woman Lost 69 Kg

Obesity is one of the biggest health challenges worldwide, and New Zealand is no exception. The country now ranks as the third most obese in the world. For many, weight loss surgery can be life-changing.

But in New Zealand, the pathway is not simple. Publicly funded bariatric surgery is restricted, and private procedures can cost anywhere from Rs 16.6 lakh (USD19,000) to Rs 25.4 lakh (USD 29,000). That is out of reach for many families.

That is the situation 34-year-old Faren Ormond (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngati Tutemohuta) found herself in. At 33, she weighed 143 kg and was struggling with pain in her feet, back and knees. 

In 2018, Faren enquired about surgery in New Zealand but was turned away. A surgeon told her she was young and fit enough to lose the weight on her own. With local options ruled out and the cost of private surgery too high, Faren looked overseas. 

Faren's aunt, medical tourism agent Annette Brons, introduced her to a documentary project looking to follow Maori on health journeys. The only condition was sharing her experience in te reo Maori. Faren agreed, and soon she was on a flight to India.

The result is Pukunati: Lose Weight or Die, an eight-part documentary series set to debut on Maori+ and Whakaata Maori on September 1. Alongside Rotorua journalist Roihana Nuri, Ormond's journey to India for surgery became part of a wider story about Māori health, access and resilience.

The surgery itself took place in Kerala. Faren Ormond underwent a gastric sleeve procedure in November 2023. The operation took two and a half hours. Costs came to around Rs 6.5 lakh (USD 7500) for the procedure and another Rs 3 lakh (USD 3500) for return flights. Her talent fee from the documentary covered both.

Since then, the transformation has been dramatic. Faren Ormond has lost about 69 kg and now weighs 74 kg. More importantly, she feels healthier and more active than she has in years. “I just wanted to set a healthy example for my children. I didn't want them to see me constantly binge eating. I didn't want them to see me lethargic and struggling with sleep and not being able to be active with them,” she told Stuff.

Without the documentary opportunity, Faren said she would have borrowed money from her parents or made an early withdrawal from her KiwiSaver to pay for overseas surgery.

For Faren Ormond, the surgery in India was not just about losing weight. It was about regaining health, confidence and energy for her family. And now, through the documentary, her story is set to reach many others who may be facing the same struggles.