Obese people are often susceptible to diseases like diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure

Shweta Balan, 15, is depressed. She is overweight (87 kg) and is just not able to shed her excess fat. Ranajay Mitra, 33, has a similar predicament. He finds it difficult moving around due to his weight (116 kg). They’re, however, not exceptions but just two examples of the growing global epidemic of obesity. And it’s paradoxical that obesity coexists with under-nutrition.

Doctors, dieticians and other experts agree that the best ways to combat obesity are a healthy diet and regular exercises. Most people, however, tend to ignore this advice by leading sedentary lifestyles and bingeing on unhealthy food.

Fat storage

And this is the reason more and more people these days are being plagued by morbid obesity ? a disease marked by the storage of excess fat in the body. It correlates with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2 or with being about 50 kg overweight. The condition often makes these people susceptible to diseases like osteoarthritis, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure.

Still, people suffering from morbid obesity have some hope. Doctors say that bariatric surgery ? weight reduction surgery that aims at reducing food intake ? is a very effective treatment for this disease. A person going for this treatment can either opt for the gastric band or for gastric bypass surgery. A gastric band is a ring made up of silastic, a type of plastic made of silicon. This is put around the stomach to create a pouch-like structure. After surgery the stomach looks like an hour glass; this limits the food intake and increases the time for the food to get digested. A gastric band partially seals a portion of the stomach. It’s a temporary method and can be reversed if the patient complains of complications.

In the case of gastric bypass surgery, a surgeon creates a small pouch by dividing the stomach. The small intestine is then cut and joined to the new pouch. This allows the food to pass straight from the pouch to the intestines. Generally, the stomach in this type of a surgery is cut to the size of a thumb, thereby limiting calorie intake. “It is a drastic step and carries the usual pains and risks of any gastro intestinal surgical operation. But unfortunately this happens to be the last resort for those who are morbidly obese,” says Dr V. K. Bhartia, consultant surgeon at AMRI hospital, Calcutta.

The surgery also compels patients to radically change their eating habits and makes them ill if they overeat. And after undergoing a bariatric operation, patients remain at a lifelong risk of nutritional deficiencies. Bhartia, however, maintains that routine follow-ups and a balanced diet minimise the side effects and eliminate the risk of nutritional deficiency. He says, “In cases of morbidly obese people, most of the time it’s impossible to lose a huge amount of weight by dieting or exercising. And people opt for this surgery only when they fail to lose weight through routine procedures.” So for a morbidly obese person to get back to shape and thereby avoid getting inflicted by other diseases, this surgery is an answer to their prayers.

He is not the only one to suggest that bariatric surgery happens to be the only option for the morbidly obese people. Says Dr Dilip Todi, consultant gastroenterologist at Westbank Hospital, Howrah, “This surgery is not meant for anyone and everyone. It’s meant for those who have a BMI of more than 40 kg/m2. It does change the metabolism of the person undergoing this surgery, but he won’t suffer a lot as he will feel satiated after small but frequent meals.” He, however, cautions that an obese person should first go for dieting and exercising.

Sceptics speak

There are, however, those who are a bit sceptical about the procedure. Says Sunaina Kapur, a housewife, “I lost around 30 kg by exercising and dieting. I didn’t have to undergo this operation to get back into shape. The surgery doesn’t appear to be too friendly and it certainly does come with its own share of side effects.”

For those who diet, dieticians advise low energy density food like soups, green salad, non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Remember, a stitch in time saves nine. So don’t wait till you get morbidly obese ?instead have a healthy diet and enjoy a healthy life.