Need to recognise obesity as chronic disease: Experts
Mumbai (PTI): There is a disconnect between awareness, understanding and management of obesity and recognising it as a chronic disease will be the first step towards obesity management, experts have said.
A recent report by global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, that involved more than 2,000 people living with obesity (PwO) and 300 healthcare professionals in India, underlined the need for an integrated, long-term approach to the treatment of obesity.
PwO face immense difficulties in maintaining weight loss and more than half of those surveyed said they reverted to old eating habits despite their efforts to change.
More than 44 per cent regain lost weight within six months, the report said, emphasising the need for more sustainable, long-term solutions that go beyond just lifestyle adjustments.
"The first step towards obesity management is to understand that it is a chronic disease. We need to support People with Obesity (PwO) with tools that not only help them lose weight but also maintain that loss over time," Novo Nordisk India Vice President Clinical, Medical, Regulatory Dr Maya Sharma told reporters on Wednesday.
A successful obesity management strategy must combine lifestyle changes, behavioural interventions, medication, and surgery where necessary, said Dr A G Unnikrishnan from Chellaram Diabetes Institute, Pune.
"Only through such integration can PwO achieve their weight loss goals and maintain long-term health improvements," Unnikrishnan said.
Obesity is also closely linked to other chronic diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, eating disorders and cardiovascular diseases among others.
According to the report, every two in five PwO suffer from conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.
The healthcare professionals say that many PwO have anywhere between one and four co-morbidities, such as high blood pressure (32 per cent), high cholesterol (27 per cent), eating disorder (23 per cent) and cardiovascular diseases (19 per cent), reinforcing that obesity is a chronic disease requiring medical intervention.
"Even a 5 per cent weight loss can bring significant health benefits, and it's important that PwO understands that small, sustainable changes are key. We as healthcare professionals have to overcome any inhibitions in discussing the condition with our patients on a regular basis and support them in their weight-loss journeys," Dr Rishma Pai from Mumbai said.
Despite the availability of prescription weight-loss medications, PwO remains hesitant and only one in seven PwO believe such medications would be helpful, with concerns about side-effects and safety being the primary deterrents, said the report.
Despite the growing awareness, there are still significant misconceptions and hurdles that need to be addressed. Hence, involvement by the government is crucial in addressing the growing obesity challenge in India, Novo Nordisk India Corporate Vice President Vikrant Shrotriya said.
Obesity is not just an individual issue but a significant public health concern that impacts healthcare resources, economic productivity, and the overall well-being of our society, he said.
"A multifaceted approach that includes policy interventions, awareness programs, and accessible healthcare solutions is essential to address this complex issue effectively," Shrotriya added.
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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
