Obesity could become public health crisis in India if left unchecked, say health experts
Many are turning to weight-loss drugs, but doctors said they have their limitations and that the long-term side effects are still unknown.
Men sitting along a street in Mumbai, India.
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MUMBAI: Vishwanath Gaitonde has struggled with his weight for years – and the problem only grew when he reached his 50s.
The advertising business head, who currently weighs more than 120kg, told CNA about the issues he began facing as he got older.
“Your knees start giving in. Your cholesterol starts increasing. Your blood pressure starts going up,” he said.
He is far from alone in his home country of India.
The world’s most populous nation now has more than 80 million obese people – or roughly 17 per cent of its population. This includes 10 million youths aged five to 19, according to research by NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a global network of health scientists and practitioners.
Health experts have warned that the problem will worsen, with obesity set to become a full-scale public health crisis if nothing is done.
One in three Indians – or about 450 million people – are expected to be overweight by 2050, based on a study published by the Lancet medical journal.
If this happens, India is projected to come second after China on a list of countries with the most overweight and obese adults.
Doctors said sedentary lifestyles, fast food, and genetic factors are major contributors.
“Altogether, this changing era (of) preservatives, artificialisation of food, ready-made food - everything together is generating a pandemic of obesity in India,” said bariatric surgeon Shashank Shah from Mumbai’s PD Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre.
“We see practically … one out of every three to five (people) having some grade of obesity or is overweight.”
Dr Shah is worried this could lead to an exponential surge in the number of patients developing diabetes at a younger age, which would further strain India's already-overstretched healthcare system.
WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to consume less oil and exercise more. But many have instead turned to weight-loss drugs, including Vishwanath.
In particular, an appetite suppressant from the United States, called Mounjaro, became available in India in March. It has been gaining popularity in the weight-loss circuit despite being primarily used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
“As a person who really wants to lose weight, you do a lot of research, you do a lot of reading, and I've been following the Mounjaro (trend) since the last few years,” said Vishwanath.
“I was just waiting for it to come to India. In fact, I had half a mind to import it but the cost was prohibitive. I couldn't afford it.”
Importing the drug would have cost him about US$1,000 a month, but he is now paying much less – US$160 – for the lowest dose.
He said it has helped him to lose 4kg in a month.
Dr Rajiv Kovil, who prescribed the drug to Vishwanath, said having such an option is good but warned that weight-loss drugs have their limitations.
The head of diabetology at Zandra Healthcare added: “An anti-obesity drug is not the magic bullet for India. It can only kickstart the progression of weight loss.
“Good lifestyle habits, good dietary habits, (and) good exercise remain the cornerstone of weight loss,” he said.
Dr Shah concurred that prevention is better than cure, adding that some weight-loss drugs need to be taken for a lifetime and that long-term side effects are still unknown.
Doctors said that without implementing early education and lifestyle changes now, India could have a much bigger health burden to grapple with down the road.
