With more than 30 per cent of population affected by obesity, the media is full of debate, discussions and offers of many proven and unproven cure for obesity which is causing concern.
Dr. Tamilselvi Periasamy, consultant at the Obesity Clinic, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH), says both men and women across all age groups are affected by it.
Obesity is the single most important factor causing non communicable diseases (NCD) such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, cardiac arrest, stroke, infertility, snoring (sleep apnoea), reflux (burning in chest) and problems such as back, knee, heel pain and certain types of cancers.
The State Government has come out with a NCD campaign in all primary health centres, taluk head quarters and medical college hospitals.
Surgery is indicated for people with BMI (body mass index) of more than 40 or more than 35 with risk factors, that means for people almost over 100 kg weight, she said.
Quoting a study conducted in 2012, C. Palanivelu, Chairman, Gem Hospital and Research Centre, says childhood obesity in Coimbatore was 23 per cent, higher than other districts such as Madurai (17 per cent), Salem (22 per cent), Tiruchi (20 per cent) and Tirunelveli (18 per cent).
Obesity is a major public health concern whose prevalence was increasing in adolescents and children.
The Hospital recently launched ‘Fight Obesity Club’, a non-profit organisation to support people suffering from overweight and obesity, he adds.
Coimbatore Medical College Hospital Dean S. Revwathy does not recommend surgery for tackling obesity, which has become common in Coimbatore region, especially among women.
“It causes PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and ovarian diseases in young women besides thyroid. Increasingly, obesity is found even among college girls.”
She blames irregular food habits, lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyle as the main reasons along with high-calorie junk foods. The Dean called for counselling young girls to take to diet control and exercises.
