Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Lifestyle habits increasing obesity

VISAKHAPATNAM: Savouring food and finishing it fast as if heavens are going to fall or have the habit of eating frequently?

Described as binge eating behaviour and snacking disorder, these trends are increasing menacingly in India. Sedentary lifestyle and the resultant change in eating habit are likely to make obesity the largest killer disease soon. At present, tobacco is the main killer.

According to studies, obesity rate, which is now put at 15 per cent, is expected to go up to 60 per cent by 2020. High calorie diet and lack of physical activity are the main reasons though 20 per cent of cases are attributed to genetic factors. A person is morbid obese if he puts on 40 kg and obese if it is more than 20 kg above the required rate.

In the age category of 30 to 42, every extra kg will increase life risk by two per cent in next 25 years. It is four per cent among those above 42 years for every extra kg.

Associate Professor of Surgery in Andhra Medical College T. Narayana Rao told The Hindu that Punjab tops in obesity cases followed by Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Dr. Rao, who was invited by Association of Obesity Surgical Society of India as faculty to chair and moderate the live surgery (Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy) in Kolkata recently and telecast from Mount Sanai hospital, Florida, said obesity was turning an epidemic causing diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, brain strokes, arthritis, asthma, sleep apnea, gastric ailments, infertility and even cancer.

At present after attaining body mass index (BMI), an obese patient should realize that he cannot loose weight by diet discipline, exercises and drugs and the only way out was to undergo laparoscopic surgery. This is the conclusion after 50 years of research of obesity.

Dr. Rao said that less traumatic, quick and highly effective procedure was now available through laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, laparoscopic gastric banding, and bypass surgery. He said sleeve gastrectomy decreases the hormone grelene so naturally that it decreases the hunger and increases the satiety.

“It will be more useful in high volume eaters like in India. Excess weight loss will be decreased by 60 t0 70 per cent with sleeve gastrectomy and even with gastric banding.

Also the cure of diabetes and hypertension and other morbid conditions with laparoscopic obesity surgery will be 90 per cent,” he stated.

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