OBESITY
- WD Team

Obese No More, a campaign that kicked of on 14th July, 2006 by the Hiranandani Hospital and India’s first ‘Obesity Support Group’. Hiranandani hospital has been successful in obesity management, including fifty successful cases treated with Bariatric surgery and Laproscopy. A citywide public awareness anti-obesity and over weight drive is being conducted. “We would like the people to be more aware of the severity and complexity of obesity and the right approach to its treatments. We would like to reach out to maximum people through this campaign,” addressed Dr. Sujit Chatterjee, CEO, Hiranandani hospital.

“India ranks in the top 10 for having over-weight people. The upper middle class in urban India has at least 50% men and women falling in the over-weight bracket,” spoke Dr. Chatterjee. “Lifestyle issue is now happening in India, what the west faced all these years,” added Dr. Sarita. There are many causes to being over-weight, with no clear studies to indicate that over-eating is the major cause, as virtually all Indians tend to believe. There could be medical reasons or wrong food pattern that could lead to obesity. “Snacking, consuming fast food, not chewing food properly, wrong diet, etc can lead to obesity. Obese people tend to eat food even if they are not hungry. They are influenced more by environment. There could be many psycho issues that rest on people turning obese. There could be these or other combinations of reasons leading to over-weight,” clarified Dr. S. M. Bandookwala, an Endocrinologist.

Technically there are two methods of surgeries, when all other treatments fail. “The surgeries are mainly done laproscopically. 1. Placing a silicon band that is, gastric adjustable. 2. Stomach stapling- a bypass to the intestine. Here, a 50 ml pouch of stomach is created and the rest of the stomach is disconnected and bypassed directly to intestine. This helps in great reduction of food intake,” explained Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, Bariatric surgeon. Dr. Lakdawala has not only treated many Indian patients but also thirty foreign nationals as well. “The cost of these surgeries is five times more in other countries than in India. Here it cost ranges from 1.8 to 2.10 lakh,” pointed Dr. Lakdawala.

Liposuction is a temporary method, which is useful to those in the limelight. Liposuction absorbs fat from a given area. This is by no means a permanent method and at the same time it is indeed costly. “No other treatment gives far better results than surgery, which is performed only as a last means and when a patient meets the required criteria,” explained Dr. Lakdawala.

The support group acts like alcohol anonymous does, where each come and share their experiences and help each other. This helps immensely than what doctors can offer due to time and work-load. Obesity is a sensitive subject and it is indeed distraughting to share with those who will not understand as to what one goes through. The jokes and ribbing, indeed hurts these people and others should be aware that no one likes to be obese if they had their way. Awareness indeed needs to be spread far and wide that obesity is not a laughing matter and that all should get together to tackle the issues and solve it.