About 1.2 billion people worldwide are officially classified as overweight, states World Health Organisation. Seventy per cent of India’s urban population is obese and comes under overweight category, another report predicts.
If these statistics are not shocking enough, a study published in Lancet, states that India is just behind the US and China in the global hazard list of top ten countries with the highest number of obese people. It further states that India is truly under siege as junk food, alcohol and sedentary lifestyle are leading us to silent self destruction, making one in every Indian men and women either obese or overweight.
The above data forces us to ponder why despite the multibillion dollar weight loss industry, there seems to be no relief in the current upsurge of obesity and accompanying lifestyle diseases.
We are all aware that being obese is not healthy. The reason for obesity can be anything from junk food, alcohol to sedentary lifestyle which are leading us to silent self destruction, making one in every Indian men and women either obese or overweight. What is important is to take a step with determination and be a part of the fight against obesity.
Problems due to obesity:
A growing problem in today’s time is infertility caused due toobesity. Almost 10 per cent of couples in the country get affected by infertility and are hesitant to take medical advice. The obesity rates in India have been rising at an extensive rate, of which quarter of the women’s population is defined as medically obese.
Obesity has to do with lifestyle issues of the major population in urban India. The urban populace has easy access to high-calorie packaged foods such as burgers, chips and soft drinks. Moreover, people in cities follow a sedentary lifestyle with little or no physical activity and a predilection for video games, computers.
Women who are obese are also at a greater risk for pregnancy complications like having a C-section, giving birth to a large baby or even developing gestational diabetes and hypertension.
Case study: Kiran Juneja, 31 (name changed on request) weighed 87 kgs when she was 29. The couple tried almost two years for a baby but she couldn’t conceive due to her weight issues. She often complained about irregular periods too. We suggested her to go for weight loss first and after complete check up we cope with her. After the IUI treatment she is now a proud mother of a baby girl.
Less time and lose more: On the other hand, with little or no time in hand of our young urban population, they need to lose weight on time and can shed any exorbitant amount to look good.
Hormonal imbalance: The obesity epidemic in teenage girls has led to increased insulin production and in some cases a hormonal imbalance called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and infertility.
Many young girls complain about irregular periods, skin acne and abnormal hair growth on their body which appear to be caused by a higher than normal production of male hormones. If overweight girls with PCOS can lose upto 15 kgs they might resume their regular periods without medication. This would also improve their other PCOS-related symptoms and also increase their chances of conceiving.
Lifestyle changes to get rid of obesity:
To get rid of obesity one needs to have clarity in the mind first and prepare oneself for the weight loss programme. Get your body in harmony for slimming down which means taking full responsibility of your weight and health. Get clear on why weight loss is important to you. What would you “gain” once you “lose” the extra weight?
Balanced diet: Get creative with exercise. Pick out interesting ways to move your body eat three meals everyday breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables in a day. Limit the fat, sugar and salt in your diet. Consult your general physician for that.
Quit smoking and drinking. Go for brisk walking twice in a day for 30 minutes.
(The writer is a gynaecologist and IVF expert at Shantah IVF Centre)
