OBESITY : More than a life Style Disease.

Once considered as a marker of wellbeing, being Overweight is now proven as a red carpet to a constellation of diseases. Obesity itself is considered as DISEASE now. In my opinion it's a "Chronic, Relapsing Disease" with detrimental effects on ones wellbeing. In the current era, when the world is fighting with the epidemic of Diabetes, Obesity is posing a parallel threat. Let me come to important points right away:

• Obesity is no more considered as a disorder of Diet and Life Style only.
• There is potential role of HORMONES and NEUROTRANSMITTERS in causation of Obesity.
• We, INDIANS are thin Obese and hence the broad BMI indicators of US and Europe are not applicable here.
• Indians do present with more complications of Obesity at the weight lower than Europeans and Americans.
• BMI (Body weight in Kg/Height in meter²) of more than 24 needs to be considered for the "MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF OBESITY". Please remember that “OBESITY” is a Disease and hence it needs a Medical management along with the well popular Diet and Life Style Modification.
• BMI of more than 32 in Indian Population may call for the need of "Bariatric Surgery".
• One of the proven way to prevent Diabetes is to lose weight in Obese individuals.
• With every Kg loss of weight, Obese people get advantage in terms of their Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, other parameters and Longevity.
• The Causes and Complications of Obesity need to be managed simultaneously for prolonged sustained results.

The cost implied in the "Management of Obesity" is much less than the cost implied in "Managing the Complications of Obesity".

Obesity affects almost all the parameters of a living being including the personal, psychological, social, interpersonal and Economic health. Obesity is no more a disease of an individual. It’s a disease of the Nation. Remember, By managing Obesity we can manage or prevent almost 20 diseases (including certain cancers).