Obesity is worst pandemic which is affecting the human population. In extreme cases, weight loss or bariatric surgery is recommended for the obese patients. This surgery is the most effective long term treatment for obesity, said Senior Consultant Minimal Access, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MAMBS) of Max hospital, Dr Vandana Soni while addressing newsmen here on Tuesday. She said that
India is currently caught in a peculiar situation of dealing with the two extreme ends of malnutrition and obesity in children. On one hand, malnutrition is still prevalent in the poor section of the society and on the other hand, overweight and obesity has been on a steep rise in children.
“Obesity is a major driver for the widely prevalent type- II diabetes. We advice surgery when the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the individual is above 32, is diabetic and despite repeated efforts the weight is not reducing. The surgery is very effective and not only does it treat obesity, it also controls and treats other serious obesity related diseases like diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, heart ailments and degenerative joint diseases. Weight loss surgery can help one gain the joys of a healthy life,” she said.
The senior Consultant, General Surgery Dr Rahul Sharma informed about BMI. The BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. A BMI between 18.5 to 25 is considered normal, 25 to 30 is overweight and above 30 is obese. He informed that the prevalence of obesity in India has more than doubled over the past two decades.
The experts informed that it is estimated that by the year 2025 India would be the diabetes capital of the world. Nearly 60 percent of diabetic people have excess weight which is an indirect indicator of increasing obesity in India. Other deadly diseases related with obesity are High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, joint pains, sleep apnea (snoring), Gall bladder stones, Coronary artery disease, and increased incidence of some types of cancer.