The most important part of being a normal weight isn’t looking a certain way – it’s feeling good and staying healthy. Having too much body fat can be harmful to the body in many ways. The good news is that it’s never too late to make changes in eating and exercise habits to control your weight, and those changes don’t have to be as big as you might think. So if you or someone you know is obese or overweight, this article can help you to deal with the problems by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Obesity or overweight is a condition that substantially raises the health risks physical, social and medical. Obesity incidence in India is increasing in the last few years and will affect more and more people in the near future. Obesity is a complex medical problem and a successful therapy requires the understanding of the illness that is obesity by the patient and the necessity of modern integrated team work.
The difficult part for the obese people is accepting the fact and finding a solution to the problem. Obesity is linked to gyms and fitness centers where it should rather be tied up with a multidisciplinary team of endocrinologists, laparoscopic surgeons, dieticians, physiotherapists, psychologists and obesity surgeons. “Gym is a good motivating factor. But it should be understood that weight loss is a marathon; so it is totally to your will power. Gyms give a great initial boost. But the vigor needs to be maintained,” said Dr. Tripthi Vasudevan, Physiotherapist, Hinduja hospital. Professing yoga and exercises, she continued, “Exercises do not benefit you as effectively as dieting or the surgery does. But in the long run, it is the most effective of all. You feel energetic throughout the day and your stamina increases. Also, blood pressure and stamina stay under control.”
Obesity experts suggest that a key to preventing excess weight gain is monitoring fat consumption rather than counting calories. There are some artificial options available today, which reduce the size of the stomach (gastric restrictive) such as the Laproscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding in which a band made of silastic material is placed near the upper end of the stomach. This reduces the stomach’s capacity and controls hunger automatically.
“Complete lifestyle modifications are required for an obese patient. And these cannot be possible without raising their morale. Help can be given by specialists in the field,” said Dr. Shrihari Dhorepatil, Obesity surgeon, Hinduja hospital who has done over two hundred of such surgeries since 1999.
The surgery that started in the 1990 is the most common surgical procedure opted by the people because it is simple and not so risky. The surgery which has become a common occurrence recently has some insignificant side-effects like the deficiency of vitamins and minerals, and infection that might be the result of any major surgery.
One of the patients who has undergone the operation by Dr. S. Dhorepatil, Sheikh Shafi, mechanical engineer, said, “This time last year, I weighed 143 kg. My waist size was a horrific 58 and I underwent pouts of depression and anxiety. I dreaded socializing and shied away from family gatherings and public functions. I had even joined the Talwalkar’s but with no great results. Finally I decided to get operated. I am as fit as I was a year back, or I would rather say I am in a better shape. There is a lot of loose skin on my body which needs to be toned up, but that is my part of work. I am happy with the surgery and the way it has changed my life. My appetite has lessened while my stamina and confidence have increased greatly. And I would advice this method to any and every obese person I know.”
Though the surgery costs around two to three lakh rupees, it has found a lot of takers in Mumbai. On this, another patient who wished to remain anonymous said, “It is better to pay a heavy price once and become fit and fine rather than paying a price for being overweight all your life since obesity is known to lead to diabetes, blood pressure problems and heart problems."
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