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Urban people prone to obesity, says expert

PUDUCHERRY: Recent studies show that around five million people living in urban areas of the country are obese, according to Prasanna Kumar Reddy, leading surgical gastroenterologist and laparoscopic surgeon.

Speaking on ‘Management of obesity and metabolic disease’ at a continuing medical education programme here on Sunday, he said that changing lifestyle, work culture and high purchasing power capacity of urban people were making them obese.

Quoting a recent survey, he said that obesity was seen more among North Indians, majority of them women, and slowly people living in South too were becoming overweight.

Stating that obesity was no more a factor confined to Western countries, Dr Reddy said Indian population was at special risk of developing “central obesity”.

“We have less height and muscle mass when compared to the Western population. This our population to a very high risk of becoming obese,” he said.

The survey revealed that out of the five million persons found to be obese in the urban areas, 25 per cent were children, he said.

With the condition spreading to the rural pockets, there was a need to create more awareness, he said. An obese person was more prone to hypertension, diabetes, degenerative arthritis and heart disease, he said adding that the condition could also lead to sudden death and huge economic loss.

Obesity could be prevented and controlled using proper diet and systematic exercise.

A few cases alone would need medication and surgical intervention, he added.

The programme was organised by the Indian Medical Association, Puducherry chapter. President of IMA Govindaraj and vice-president Krishnakumar spoke.

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