Max Healthcare endocrinology head tells Amitabh Bachchan how to stay fit: ‘Obesity modern chronic disease ki janani hai’

Dr. Ambrish Mithal stresses lifestyle changes, diet, and exercise for combating obesity, which is linked to chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

Obesity is one of the most common health problem that India faces. Around 18 crore Indians are chronic victims of obesity. The group chairman of Max Healthcare department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, and Padmabhushan awardee Dr. Ambrish Mithal, recently made an appearance on shed light on this issue.

Appearing on the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, Dr Mithal spoke about the how alarming of a problem obesity actually is on on Anti-Obesity Day.

The disease is spreading fast and a lot of Indians, mostly those who reside in the metropolitan cities, fall prey to it, Dr Mithal said adding that they are either overweight or obese.

Talking of how people turn a blind eye towards the health hazard, Dr Mithal stressed how people assume that obesity is just something that affects the appearance and has nothing to do with internal health.

“Sabhi log chahte hai ki patle ho, achhe lage (Everyone wants to turn slim, and look good),” he said.

He added that we all see people suffering with diabetes, but the main fuel that runs the disease is increased weight. Obesity is also the starting point for not just diabetes, but for hundreds of conditions including blood pressure, different kinds of arthritis, and even some types of cancer.

How to deal with obesity

“Iska ilaaj kaise ho? (How to recover from it?),” a curious Amitabh Bachchan asked Dr Mithal.

We need to focus on our lifestyle first, the doctor replied. “Main jo humein focus karna hai, woh toh humaari jeevanshaili par hi hai (We need to focus mainly on our lifestyle),” he said.

It is very important to take care of what is eaten and the amount of physical exercise we do. “That is the basis of everything, uske bina aage nahi badh sakte (We cannot go ahead with the cure without that),” he affirmed.

Although there are times when genes play a role in inheriting obesity and it is predisposed into the newer generation, there are times when hormones are altered too.

Awareness towards obesity

Dr Mithal added that just like people consult doctors regarding their diseases like diabetes and blood pressure, they should pay equal attention to obesity and address their concerns to their doctor.

Shedding light on the lack of awareness towards obesity, Amitabh Bachchan emphasized on the importance of Dr Mithal's message to the audience on Anti-Obesity Day and urged everyone to reach out to their doctors regarding this rising problem.

“Apne aap ko swasth rakhiye, aur weight management kijiye, kyuki sehat se bada koi dhan nahi hota (Keep yourselves healthy and undertake measures for weight management, because health is wealth),” Amitabh said.