A doctor’s insight on obesity

Vijayawada: The upcoming capital Amaravati is transforming into a Medical Tourism Hub. Vijayawada is attracting people from across country and a few foreign countries for treatment of some diseases.

Vijayawada has made its a mark in treating obesity and Leptin Hormone deficiency patients successfully. Obesity among people was on the rise in the recent past and about ten per cent people suffer from overweight problem.

In this regard, The Hans India spoke to Dr K Ravikanth, Bariatric Surgeon, Endocare Hospital.

Dr Ravikanth says that obesity problem has become a big concern in the present generation and patients are multiplying every year. Overweight was due to lack of diet discipline, consuming junk food, hereditary and a few other reasons are resulting in obese problem.

"The present generation education system is more focused on bookish knowledge leaving physical exercise and sports at bay," said the doctor.

He said that about seven years back there used to be one weight reduction surgery per month and slowly the number of patients has gone up to about thirty surgeries a month which was really alarming.

Dr Ravikanth said that with the rising number of obesity patients, awareness among people has also increased and the social stigma of having bulky body has disappeared and patients are getting treatment with the latest advanced procedures and surgeries available to control and reduce the weight.

Latest surgeries like Adjustable Gastric band, Biliopancreatic diversion, Gastric bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy are performed for weight reduction, said the doctor.

"Thousands of surgeries were successfully performed till now setting a new standard of performing the highest number of bariatric surgeries in South India," he adds.

He said that obese people have severe breathing problem, sleep apnea and other issues and most of the obese patients approach the doctor only when the problem was chronic.

He said that hundreds of unmarried youth underwent weight reduction surgeries successfully.

He said that the government has to take up health regulations to control obese problems as followed strictly in countries like Japan. He said that Japan has the world’s lowest obese patients and the highest life span.

He said that Vijayawada has set a standard to treat patients suffering from Leptin and Ghralin hormone deficiency. Patients like Chota Bhim from Ananthapur who was the heaviest boy in the world and other patients from across India were treated successfully, he added.

Dr Ravikanth said that with the ‘Bariatric Foundation Trust’ they have treated obese patents and performed surgeries free. He appealed to the government to extend support and bear the cost of material to treat poor obese patients, and the hospital would do the service free.