obesity awareness week !!

About 500 patients treated for obesity and student volunteers of the National Service Scheme will take out a walk in the city on October 25 as part of a week-long obesity awareness programme jointly organised by GEM Hospital and Bharathiar University, Dr. C. Palanivelu, the director of the hospital told presspersons on Tuesday.The walk would be flagged of by former national hockey team captain V. Baskaran and athlete Valsamma. City Police Commissioner P. Sivanandi and Member of Parliament E.T. Basheer Ahmed would be present at the flag off.

Bharathiar University Vice-Chancellor C. Swaminathan would administer an oath of obesity prevention to the participants at the conclusion of the walk on the P.R.S. Grounds.

Workshop

A two-day international workshop on bariatric surgery would be held on October 23 and 24. Delegates could see live procedure such as laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass.On October 26, Union Minister of State for Health S. Gandhiselvan, State School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu and District Collector P. Umanath would participate in an obesity awareness programme. Mr. Gandhiselvan would release a book authored by Dr. Palanivelu.During the Obesity Week, free surgeries would be performed to poor people who suffered from morbid obesity. For more details, the hospital could be contacted on 0422-2325105.

Morbid obesity

Explaining why more focus should be given to obesity, Dr. Palanivelu said it led to a variety of problems such as diabetes, infertility, stroke and heart attack. It also had a psychological impact.Most obese people did not socialise.Morbid obesity was high in the U.S. and Latin American countries. Earlier, obesity surgery was treated as a cosmetic procedure. But, the World Health Organisation later brought it under the category of life-saving procedures.

Awareness

Obesity awareness should begin in schools. Children must be educated on the hazards of obesity. Excess weight in children mostly became an irreversible condition.“This is why we have included painting and essay writing competitions for students on this topic during the event,” Dr. Palanivelu said.Surgery apart, obesity awareness was being stressed as part of preventive medicine.The emphasis was on nutrition and not mere quantity of food. There was equal emphasis on good physique and clean habits, he said.

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