Obesity is a growing health problem, with increase in disposable income leading to bad food choices and sedentary lifestyle. Obesity refers to accumulation of excessive fat on the body. This excess of fat is harmful to the health and can lead to various health problems. Hence obesity or being overweight can impact a person’s quality of life.
Obesity can lead to several health problems like Diabetes Mellitus, High Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular diseases, Infertility, Sleep apnoea. Amongst all even childhood obesity continues to be growing problem in today’s society. In fact, almost one in five children and adolescents are overweight, and the numbers continue to increase.
According to Dr. Manish Motwani Bariatric Surgeon Aastha Health Care, says childhood obesity is not just a cosmetic problem. Today more number of children are being diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension and also prone to depression, eating disorders, low esteem that stems from being teased, bullied or ignorance by peers and friends. Bariatric surgery may be a reasonable hope for achieving some quality of life and avoiding death when conventional medical treatment options have failed.
Weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery has proven to be the most effective weight loss solution for individuals with a BMI > 30 and suffering from associated medical conditions like infertility, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea, Depresion & other psychological problems or for morbidly obese people with a BMI rating more than 32 without any associated comorbidity.Depending on the type of weight loss surgery, a person can lose 40 to 70% of the extra weight within six months to nine months after surgery and at least 90% of the people maintain their weight loss for 10 years or more.
Obesity is also a root cause for many diseases especially Diabetes Mellitus. Research shows that obesity and diabetes are closely linked. Obesity is a silent killer, affecting 1 in 5 males and about 1 in 6 women in our country. While it appears as a physical condition that can be reversed through exercise and diet control, it can quickly spiral out of control and lead to hormonal and chemical imbalances inside the body.
Weight loss plays an important role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes which is recognized by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). World’s leading experts in the fields of diabetes and bariatric surgery have together recommended bariatric surgery as an economical and effective treatment for severe type 2 diabetes.
Bariatric surgery has been clinically proven for sustainable weight loss, which can help restore the hormonal balance of the body. Patients who experience weight loss as a result of bariatric surgery are able to drastically reduce their diabetes medication and in certain cases completely reverse this condition.
“One of our patients had BMI of 42.4, suffered from breathlessness, and could not walk even few steps, had severe hypertension and took insulin dosage daily to control diabetes. Now, 6 months post surgery, her BMI has reduced to 31 and is no longer dependent on insulin for diabetes control. Her hypertension is also managed and now she walks 4 km daily”, says Dr Manish Motwani from Aastha Health Care.
Says Bariatric Operated Mr Nanik Mansukhani, under Dr. Manish Motwani, morbidly obese with BMI of 45, was overweight since childhood. I had a family history of diabetes and obesity. I was very foodie, loved to eat food and to a large volume. I tried with diet and exercise many times. In spite of multiple attempts of weight loss, I was unable to lose weight and in turn regained much more. Slowly I developed Diabetes, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, unable to walk and breathless after walking few steps. Lastly I decided to undergo Bariatric Surgery, the only treatment for permanent weight loss. After 1year post surgery my diabetes was under control without any medicines, blood pressure and cholesterol is also in normal range. I have raised with self confidence and loves my new look. I can now able to walk 1 hour at stretch without being breathless. Surgery has changed my life.
In Urban India, obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 25 kg/m2) was reported in 42.4% of women and 38.2% of men. Women are known to have higher fat percentage in their body when compared to men which puts them at higher risks of developing obesity related co-morbidities like Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Cardiac diseases, joint pains and Hypertension.
Dr Motwani says, “At Aastha Healthcare, we have seen obesity incidence much higher in women, with 66% of the bariatric surgery patients being women. Most of these women have several diseases like Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD), Infertility and increased risks of various types of cancers because of obesity”.
“ PCOD is a risk factor for infertility, and obese women are three times more likely to suffer infertility than women with a normal BMI. If pregnant, obese women are more likely to experience pregnancy loss. Hormonal changes in overweight and obese women are the main causes for developing such diseases”.
Bariatric surgery, or weight loss surgery, can be considered as an effective treatment option for PCOD and Infertility where all other methods have failed.” In our practice, we see 3-5 obese women every month suffering from Infertility, where methods such as IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) have failed after multiple attempts. In such morbidly obese patients, bariatric surgery has proved to be very effective. Most of these patients are able to conceive after 12 to 18 months.
”Sunaina, an 28yrs old housewife says “ Laproscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy done by Dr. Manish Motwani, helped not only in reducing my weight but also co-morbidities associated with obesity like infertility, irregular menses, severe acidity, depression due to weight and poor will power have resolved. I was 101kgs with BMI of 41, overweight since childhood and gradual weight gain post marriage. I lost almost 40kgs in a year, conceived and delivered a baby of normal weight without any complications. In addition there is improvement in my ovulation, menstrual irregularities, PCOD along with normalization of sex hormones, all of which contributes to increase fertility and thus tremendously improved my quality of life.