Pursuit of health

Want to shed weight? Head to JPNAIIMS.

The premier health hub in Phulwarisharif will inaugurate an obesity clinic within two months.

Noted doctors of the super specialty hospital would give advice on how to shed the extra flab at a nominal fee.

Those fighting the disease can also get the bariatric surgery done at a subsidised rate.

It is a type of surgery in which weight loss is achieved by reducing the size of the stomach with an implanted medical device (gastric banding) or through removal of a portion of the stomach (sleeve gastrectomy or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch) or by re-routing the small intestines to a small stomach pouch (gastric bypass surgery).

JPNAIIMS director Dr G.K. Singh said the purpose behind the obesity clinic is to help those who are at a risk of developing diabetes owing to obesity.

“Obesity is one of the primary reasons of diabetes. Those who are obese have a greater chance of developing diabetes. It is expected that there would be 40 lakh diabetic people in India in the next five years,” Singh said.

He added that in Bihar, the prevalence of obesity is very high. The director said the VLCC Patna centre recently conducted a survey on the prevalence of obesity in Bihar. Alka Ranjan, the VLCC centre head, Patna, said: “We had conducted a survey six months ago and found 42 to 48 per cent people suffering from obesity.”

“This is the reason why we thought of coming up with an obesity clinic. Residents can consult our doctors at a nominal fee. They can also get a bariatric surgery done at the clinic. At present, no clinic in Patna has that facility. Severe obesity is a chronic condition, which cannot be reated with simple diet control and physical exercise,” the JPNAIIMS director said.

“This is when bariatric surgery comes in. The surgery is an option for people who cannot lose weight by other means or suffer health problems related to obesity. We have experts at the JPNAIIMS who can perform this surgery with precision,” he added.

On the facilities at the clinic, Singh said: “Patients would have to pay Rs 50 as registration fee, which would include consultation charges also. Our experts would suggest exercise patterns and a diet chart to help patients lose weight.”

Singh hopes that the clinic would be an instant hit given the prevalence of obesity in Bihar.