How much is a stone?

Nurses General Nursing

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I just read this article and I have no idea how much a "stone" equals in weight. Does anybody know? I didn't think anyone in the US used "stone" as a measurement of weight! I noticed that the article was from UK Reuters but it is about a LA man. I figure it's written that way b/c it was intended for UK readers.

Oddly Enough - UK Reuters

Surgeons slice fat off 58-stone man

Fri Aug 23, 6:36 PM ET

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A 58-and-a-half stone man who arrived at a Los Angeles area hospital in a rented panel truck -- the only vehicle that could accommodate his girth -- says he is doing well after surgeons carved 11 stones of fat and excess skin from his body.

Martin Bernardi, a 25-year-old Los Angeles man who has been confined to his home and mostly his bed for the past five years because of his weight, said on Friday he considered the operation a first step toward his return to a normal life.

"I just want to get my life back, to enjoy the small things like just getting out and walking with my friends," Bernardi said. "I'm looking forward to just hearing that alarm clock go off at 6 a.m., getting up and going to work."

Bernardi, who stands about 5 foot 10 inches tall, hopes to drop his weight to about 18 stone and gain work as a probation officer after a second surgery that will reduce his food intake to one or two tablespoons worth at a time.

Members of Bernardi's family, who were desperate after being turned away by several hospitals, brought him in a rented panel truck to the Tri-City Regional Medical Centre in Hawaiian Gardens, California, about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, on August 12.

Three days later, nationally known obesity surgeon Dr. Mal Fobi donated his services in performing a so-called abdominal panniculectomy on Bernardi, removing 11 stones of fat and skin, Fobi's spokesman George Pappas said.

When Bernardi heals from that surgery, Pappas said, he will undergo a second operation to give him the "Fobi Pouch," in which the upper part of the stomach is stapled off to create a small bag that will only hold one or two tablespoons of food and prevent him from overeating.

Bernardi has been unable to work for the past five years, surviving on government disability benefits and family members to feed and care for him. He blamed a genetic disposition and poor eating habits for the massive weight gain.

"The weight just progressed and progressed and progressed until I wasn't able to do certain things," he said. "I ate a lot. I ate just whenever I wanted and wherever I wanted. I ate a lot of fast food."

Pappas said that previously the heaviest person ever to undergo Fobi Pouch surgery weighed 57 stone 13 lb. A Las Vegas man who checked in at 66 stones 1 lb had the operation after first dropping about a third of that weight on a six-month water diet.

Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.

a stone is 14IBs - and we still use it a measurement of weight over here- despite the best efforts of the goverment to convert us to metric!!!! think it is equal to 6kgs.. hope that helps!

Karen

Further clarification..14lbs...lbs is the abbreviation of pounds. (weight.)

Specializes in correctional, psych, ICU, CCU, ER.

I wish him luck, too many times when a surgeon, who shall remain nameless, does this proceedure, the pt becomes septic. there's such a blood loss with this, and it's so dangerous, "ah but the pt looses 100 lbs in surgery' I hope and pray that it doesn't stop with that wt loss.

One of my friends kids had a Fobi pouch and did very well, never needed a tummy tuck, of course he was young, skin elastic still and lost about 1000 lbs, looks like he was never a day overweight in his life.

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

Lost 1000 pounds! That must be some kind of record--particularly for a kid.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

16 ounces = 1lb ( pound)

14 lb (pound) = 1 stone.

In Australia we now use the metric system;

2.2lb (pound) = 1kg (kilogram)

I HATE it!!... I was in primary school when they changed it over & have NEVER liked it! I still use the imperial system most days! :-)

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Grace

Had two windows open and posted to the wrong thread so this is off the original topic.

I'm just curious as to why you would hate a system that is based on units of ten. It's simple and straightforward. Learn the sets of ten and apply them to what you are measuring. None of this 16 ounces = 1lb (pound) = 1 fourteenth of a stone

1000 ml (milliliters) = 100 cl (centiliter) = 1 liter.

5000mg (milligrams) =500 cg (centigram) = 5g (gram)

3200mm (millimeters) = 320 cm (centimeter) = 3.2m (meter)

Canadians and Americans can't even agree on the size of a gallon. Who knows what other measurements are different sizes based on which county you happen to be in?

Very interesting you guys, Thanks!!!! :D

Specializes in NICU.

I know a web site that has pictures of a gross lipectomy, if anyone is interested in seeing them. WARNING: If you haven't been to this site before, they have MANY MANY MANY offensive photos, including gore and sexual pictures, so consider yourself warned. My husband says he has nightmares after viewing some of the autopsy and accident victim photos, so if you have a tender stomach or a sensitive disposition, don't go there.

what the site????

Originally posted by nurseman

I'm just curious as to why you would hate a system that is based on units of ten. It's simple and straightforward. Learn the sets of ten and apply them to what you are measuring.

Well, you know, it's the old habit thing. If you grow up doing one and you're used to it (for example, I can hold a bag of peaches and tell you about how many pounds they are...to figure the same in kilos, I'd have to estimate the pounds and then divide by 2.2). In order to switch over, it takes some work...but we still have the other system hanging around, so you can be lazy and use that one...especially in the grocery store, where I use those measurements on a daily basis, and the prices are in pounds, not kilos...

:)

Originally posted by Kristi2377

I know a web site that has pictures of a gross lipectomy, if anyone is interested in seeing them. WARNING: If you haven't been to this site before, they have MANY MANY MANY offensive photos, including gore and sexual pictures, so consider yourself warned. My husband says he has nightmares after viewing some of the autopsy and accident victim photos, so if you have a tender stomach or a sensitive disposition, don't go there.

Sounds like http://www.rotten.com

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