India ranks 3rd in world on obesity index; Dr Chowbey
Author(s): City Air NewsPadma Shri awardee and a renowned Bariatric surgeon of country, Dr. Pradeep Chowbey Chandigarh, February 12, 2016: “According to a survey, India is the third most obese country in the world. The incidence of Obesity...
Chandigarh, February 12, 2016: “According to a survey, India is the third most obese country in the world. The incidence of Obesity in Punjab is the highest at 33%. In India, 2.5 million people are obese. Bariatric surgery is not a shortcut to weight loss but a treatment for obesity-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol and sleep disorders. The patients with BMI over 32.5kg/m2 should be recommended for bariatric surgery or surgery for morbid obesity as an early intervention.”
These views were shared by Padma Shri awardee and a renowned Bariatric surgeon of country, Dr. Pradeep Chowbey while talking to media on the side-lines of an annual Conference of Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society of India (OSSICON) at Hotel JW Marriot here today.
Talking about the growing epidemic of ‘obesity’, Dr. Chowbey who is also a Chairman at Max Institute of Minimal Access, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MAMBS) , Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi said that Bariatric surgery is a life-saving surgery and should not be confused with liposuction which is a cosmetic procedure. Earlier bariatric surgical procedures were done with a large incision on the body but now with the help of laparoscopy (keyhole) surgical techniques, there is less tissue damage, quick post-operative recovery and shorter hospital stay.
“Long considered a rich man’s disease, obesity has rapidly grown to become one of the most serious lifestyle diseases. With 41-million obese people presently living in India, the country ranks third in the world on the obesity index. According to a recent survey, more than 40% of the population in Punjab is overweight or obese. Just under half the population is at high risk of contracting kidney ailments, and the prevalence rate of diabetes is 5% higher than the national average.”
Obesity is further linked to a host of medical problems like high cholesterol, diabetes, joint pain, arthritis and heart diseases. Life becomes a struggle for survival for morbidly obese people as day-to-day activities become arduous tasks, informed DrChowbey.
Dr. Chowbey was one of the first surgeons to recognize the increasing prevalence of obesity in India and promote bariatric surgery as a mainstream medical solution to treat it. He has made consistent efforts to treat this killer disease and has pursued the surgical treatment (bariatric surgery) of patients of morbid obesity, benefiting a large number of patients. He changed the perception about bariatric surgery being just a cosmetic correction surgery to improve one’s appearance.
Interestingly MAMBS has been accredited as an International Centre of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), USA (2010) and Centre of Excellence in Endohernia by the Asia Pacific Hernia Society. The Institute is the first centre to receive these accreditations in India under the leadership of Dr. Chowbey. He was recently felicitated with the honorary membership from the renowned Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgeons in Osaka, Japan, for his contributions in the field of minimal access and bariatric surgery.