Considering the growing number of diseases caused due to obesity, Sassoon General Hospital has now set up an obesity clinic.

Doctors from Sassoon said that the necessity of the obesity clinic highlights its rising presence across all sections of society. 

Dean Dr Ajay Chandanwale said, "Obesity is a lifestyle disease. Many non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus,malignancies, migraine, metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovarian disease,depression, sleep apnea, acid peptic disease, rheumatoid arthritis and gout are associated with obesity. In India, 40 per cent of the population suffers from obesity and related diseases." 

Speaking about the obesity clinic, Dr Chandanwale said, "The main objective of the clinic is to screen patients for obesity based on height, weight and body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference ratio and a clinical examination. Patients detected as being prone to obesity will be evaluated for biochemical tests and counselling for lifestyle modification with diet and exercise. Those with a BMI above 40 will be advised for bariatric surgery." 

Preventive medicine expert, physiologist, surgeon, physiotherapist and dietitian are available for patients attending the clinic.

Recently, Address Health, a provider of health services in schools, conducted a survey in Pune which claimed that one in eight children (12 per cent) across all age groups are at risk of developing lifestyle or metabolic diseases in adulthood, based on their waist to height ratio, which was in excess of the standard. 

The data collected by Address Health during the current academic year 2017/18 revealed that obesity is on the rise in children with nearly 11 per cent being obese and 13 per cent being overweight. Primary and middle school children were found to be more obese and overweight.  The survey was conducted on 2,700 school kids aged 4-16.