Obesity leading cause for chronic lifestyle diseases

Warning people of the risks related to obesity on “World Anti-Obesity Day”, health experts have stressed that obesity can be one of the most important reasons for developing chronic lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, especially among people living in urban areas where obesity is on the rise at an alarming rate.

According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, BMI (body mass index, an indicator of obesity) is generally found to be higher among people living in urban areas leading to increased incidence of co-morbidities.

Considering obesity is fast becoming a huge public health issue in India, the health experts suggest timely intervention to manage the condition. While a healthy lifestyle can help attain an ideal body weight, if in case this doesn’t work, the experts say it is important that people consider advanced treatment options like bariatric surgery without delay.

“The objective of the bariatric surgery is to reduce extra body weight and related co-morbid conditions, and not just to make people look good, as it is assumed sometimes. Considering the serious health hazards associated with obesity, bariatric surgery is in fact a life-saving procedure,” Dr Atul N.C. Peters, director at the Institute of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Fortis Hospital, said.

Usually patients with BMI in excess of 30 suffer from associated diseases like snoring, high BP, diabetes, irregular menstrual periods and joint pains. “Obesity is one of the leading causes of early incidents of heart diseases in India. People in their late twenties and early thirties are being diagnosed with heart diseases and are brought to hospital emergencies having suffered a sudden cardiac arrest or heart attack. This was a situation unheard of in the past,” Dr Ripen Kumar Gupta, associate director, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, said.

The experts blamed increased stress levels as one of the most common causes of an unhealthy lifestyle. “On the occasion of World Obesity Day, it is imperative to raise awareness about the urgent need to reverse this trend,” added Dr Gupta.