Cardiovascular diseases and Diabetes would be the largest cause of death and disability in India by 2020 as per a World Health Organisation (WHO) report. The onset of Non Communicable diseases like obesity and stroke is now seen in much younger age groups starting from 15 years onwards. Obesity is a high risk factor for a person to develop heart problems, High BP, Diabetes and the Indian youth are struggling to maintain a healthy weight.
A study conducted by a leading research agency in 2013 in India’s urban areas revealed that 31% of India’s 15- 20 year old population is overweight and 12% are already obese. Main causes for the same are eating habits, sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical exercise. A WHO - backed survey of Delhi public schools revealed that 53 per cent of children between 10 and 14 years and 45 per cent between 15 and 19 years snack on junk food every day.
According to Dr Manish Motwani, Chairman and leading Obesity surgeon at Aastha Helathcare, Mumbai , “On an average per week we see 4-5 patients in age group of 13-19 year old suffering from morbid obesity and related health problems. Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.”
“Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure, elevated total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), and low levels of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) track from childhood. Risk factors tend to occur in families and are especially evident in children when an adult relative is obese. From an analysis of several studies published by American Heart Association, it is shown that very obese children (before and after puberty) were at greater risk for adult mortality from CVD”, says Dr Motwani.
“The effects of obesity on cardiovascular health and disease are many, one of the most profound of which is hypertension. Risk estimates from population studies suggest that ≥75% of hypertension can be directly attributed to obesity, and also a 6 times rise in diabetes due to morbid obesity
”Bariatric surgery where in weight-loss is achieved by a variety of procedures — reducing the size of the stomach (Sleeve Gastrectomy), or re-routing the small intestines to a small stomach pouch (gastric bypass) is now an option for the young population to consider for weight loss and comorbidity resolution.
“Siddharth Mehta, was morbidly obese with BMI of 42 and weighed 114 kgs, at the age of 13 years. He was already diagnosed as hypertensive, had extreme breathlessness and could not do any form of physical exertion. These were all signs of developing cardiac disease or T2DM in times to come. He was unable to do any physical activity, or take part in sports and any form of extra curricular activities. This contributed to his inactivity at school and he was not able to be an all round performer, Something Siddharth always wanted to achieve. We consulted Siddharth and his family, and he underwent Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy. Now after 3 years, he has a healthy BMI of 22, his hypertension has resolved and he regularly plays 1-2 hours of sports in his daily routine and is also practicing to be in the football team for his school” says Dr Manish Motwani. “Bariatric surgery has good results on weight loss and resolution of other diseases and now is a viable option even for teenagers. Parents come to us with their 16-17 year old children who have high BP, sleep apnea and at risk for many serious diseases, wanting to know more about bariatric surgery and suitable options for their children.”
“Another patient Sarita Kamble, age 19, started working in a sales job at a leading Indian bank. She weighed 97 kgs at the start of her job. Due to stress and work pressure, within 12 months she weighed 127 kgs, with a BMI of 44. She was unable to cope up with her job, as it demanded a lot pf physical activity and was not able to attend sales calls on time. She was frequently absent from her work due to her weight and other disease like high BP. Sunita then after 1.5 years started suffering from depression due to inability to perform in the corporate world despite her best efforts”, says Dr Manish Motwani. “ She finally came to us after consulting other patients for weight loss surgery. She underwent surgery 6 months ago, and now at the age of 21 she weights 67 kgs, with a BMI of 31. According to her co workers, she has got a new life and she is now seen as one of the star performers in the team. For the first time she met her sales targets for the quarter and also was appreciated by her team for her weight loss efforts. This surgery helped Sunita regain her confidence, lose weight and fight her depression. She now lives a healthy and happy life and is raring for more successes” says Dr Motwani
Obesity is known to have a toll on patients’ quality of life as it is eminent from the above stories. In addition to this it also takes a toll on health and contributes to risk factors for developing T2DM, Heart diseases, Joint Paints, Sleep Apnea and other diseases. “Sleep apnea is a common disorder due to obesity faced by young men and women. Almost 4-5 teenage patients every months visit us due to sleep apnea characterized by heavy snoring. Some of them are already on C PAP machine, which is an option for extreme sleep apnea. After surgery, most of these patients are resolved of sleep apnea within 15 days and are no longer on the C PAP machine. Also their BP levels return to normal. Bariatric surgery is definitely an effective treatment option for patients with morbid obesity and co morbidities and improves their medical, physical and psychological condition leading to overall improvement in quality of life” says Dr Motwani.