According to National Family Health Survey 2019-21, around 23 per cent of Indians are obese and thus suffer from a multitude of health disorders because of the condition
Inducing healthy lifestyle habits and attitudinal change are important game changers to tackle the issue of growing obesity in the country was the consensus of the experts, at the Obesity Prevention Summit 2023, initiated by the Integrated Health and Wellbeing Council.
While discussing about the impact of obesity on the overall health of individuals Dr Pradeep Chowbey, Chairman – Max Institute of Laparoscopic, Endoscopic, Bariatric Surgery & Chairman- Surgery and Allied Surgical Specialities, Max Healthcare remarked, “Weight management can play a role in delaying the obesity epidemic, lifestyle change is important and coupled with the right medical interventions, it can effectively increase the quality of life for patients”.
According to National Family Health Survey 2019-21, around 23 per cent of Indians are obese and thus suffer from a multitude of health disorders because of the condition.
Vikrant Shrotriya, Managing Director and Corporate Vice President, Novo Nordisk India, discussed about obesity being a major risk factor for diabetes and added, “Obesity and diabetes are closely related. India is already the diabetes capital of the world and obesity is seeing an exponential increase in the country. We strongly feel that along with innovative solutions to the disorders, creating relevant awareness on lifestyle interventions can go a long way in addressing the crisis”.
Kamal Narayan, CEO of IHW Council said, “Apart from having genetic disposition to obesity, Indians have started leading an extremely sedentary lifestyle along with rapid influx of junk food thus urbanisation has been a major contributing factor as far as obesity is concerned.”
Dr Banshi Saboo, President, All India Association for Advancing Research in Obesity (AIAARO) & Chairman, Dia Care – Diabetes Care & Hormone Clinic, Ahmedabad said, “A preventive, multi- sectoral approach starting right from school and further creating relevant awareness is the need of the hour as far as obesity is concerned.”
According to research both diabetes and obesity rates have continued to increase in tandem and pose increased mortality for patients and also an increase in health care costs for the country.
Dr Sujoy Ghosh, Diabetologist & Endocrinologist, Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata remarked, “Genetics and obesity are the most significant risk factor for type Idiabetes, weight loss is important not only for diabetes remission but also for improved metabolic paraments.”
Prof. Dr Anoop Misra, Director, NDOC; President, Diabetes Foundation (India) and Executive Chairman, Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences, observed “Diabetes plus obesity raises a host of complications fortunately we have done a lot of progress in diabetes management in the last decade however judicial use of drugs along with lifestyle modifications should be ensured to reap sustainable benefits.”