Restaurants and canteens in educational institutes across the country should have guidelines regarding calorie intake to deal with the growing problem of obesity, a panel of experts said on Saturday.
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The experts were speaking during a discussion held in Dadar. Bariatric surgeon Dr. Jayshree Todkar, who runs JT Obesity Solutions; Niranjan Hiranandani of the Hiranandani Group; Dr. Dilip Mhaisekar, Vice Chancellor, health sciences, Mumbai University; Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Pallavi Darade; former Tripura Governor D.Y. Patil; and lifestyle expert Mickey Mehta were in attendance.
Eye on diet
The discussion was jointly organised by Hiranandani Hospital and JT Obesity Solutions, a non-profit organisation that works towards tackling obesity. Several people who have battled obesity were also present.
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Dr. Todkar said, “India has become the diabetic capital of the world and is heading towards becoming the second largest country with most number of childhood obesity cases. The main reason for childhood obesity is junk and packaged food. Processed food and beverages are the biggest sources of unwanted sugar in the diet. People have false notions that surgery for obesity is like cosmetic surgery.”
Mr. Hiranandani said he was ashamed that India is called the diabetic capital of the world. “Just like we resolved to eliminate polio, we need to eliminate the problem of diabetes and obesity from our country. It is only when every institution, government body, the medical fraternity and society come together that we shall be successful in eliminating it.”
Labelling food
Dr. Todkar suggested that the FDA and the Health Ministry should set up guidelines to label high calorie and high sugar dishes in menu cards at restaurants and also label foods that pose a risk to people with obesity and diabetes with appropriate warnings. The other recommendation was that the Education Ministry include topics in the school curriculum about ailments like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and childhood obesity.
Amla Agarwal (27), a patient who was present at the event, said, “My mother suffered from obesity and sleep apnoea from a very young age. Due to hereditary reasons, I developed obesity. We consulted Dr. Todkar, who told me that I was on the verge of developing diabetes, thyroid and sleep apnoea. That is when I realised that obesity is not a small issue and underwent a laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Now, I eat healthy and stay physically active to keep myself away from diseases. I would blame our modern lifestyle for the increasing risk of diseases and it is time we change it.”
Suggestions welcome
Ms. Darade and Dr. Mhaisekar assured panellists that due consideration would be given to all the suggestions.
“We have been discussing methods to implement a system where such warnings be made put up at food outlets. We will submit a proposal to the State government seeking necessary steps in this regard,” Ms. Darade said.
Dr. Mhaisekar said the university will focus on educating students about diseases like obesity and diabetes. He said, “If children are informed about the dangers of such diseases at school and college level, there is a lot of scope for improvement.”