Obesity Is A Disease. Find A Solution

Obesity Is A Disease. Find A Solution | I remembered when my physician told me that I am on the verge of being an obese person and he blamed it on my height. If I was at least 5 cm higher, the current weight would fit me just nice but sadly, my height was not enough to pass me as a fit person. And that somehow hit hard and I fought teeth and nails to stay on the fit and trim side ever since. 

Recently, it was mentioned in the NST's article of A Disease In Its Own Right as such 'OBESITY has been described as an epidemic, with the global rates increased significantly over the past several decades. According to the World Health Organisation, worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
FACT (Source)

According to the World Health Organisation, Asians with a BMI of 24 are considered as overweight compared to a BMI of 30 in the Western population. This is because Asians have more visceral fat which increases the risk of heart diseases and diabetes. As such the classification for Asians based on BMI as follows :

* Overweight: BMI between 24 and 26.9

* Obese class I: BMI between 27 and 31.9

* Obese class II: BMI between 32 and 36.9

* Obese class III : BMI greater than 37

* The waist circumference should be less than 90cm (men) and 80cm (women).

And guys, obesity does not apply to teenagers and adults - it could also happen to an 8-year old child. As mentioned by NST in the article 'Childhood obesity a growing health crisis in Malaysia'. Here are some of the points taken from the article.

• The 2013 South East Asian Nutrition Survey cited that 21.6% of children aged between six months and 12 years fell under the overweight or obese category.
• According to a study in Asia conducted by Prof Dr Poh Be Koon in 2013, Malaysia was among the top three countries with a high percentage (11.5%) of obese children (aged between six months and 12 years).
• In the 2015 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), 11.8% of children below 18 years of age were found to be obese.
• Based on the latest data, 1.65 million Malaysian schoolchildren are expected to be overweight or obese by 2025 if we don’t do anything. 

The article started with the story of Farhan who lost his battle against obesity at the age of 12 years old and he weighs more than 100 kg at that time.

Is there no hope to recover from obesity? Obviously, there are - healthy diet regimes, take on exercise and doing it consistently and many more.

One of the safest and most popular weight loss methods is Bariatric Surgery, which is a type of internal digestive system to help those who are overweight (obesity) achieve their ideal weight. There are several types of bariatric surgery that will basically reduce the size of an obese patient's stomach where after surgery, absorption and digestion may be restricted as a result of consuming a limited quantity and eventually the obese person will gain ideal weight.

However, some criteria must be taken into account in order to qualify for an obese patient undergoing bariatric surgery. Obesity patients need to seek consultancy from an accredited bariatric specialist before this surgery can be performed.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to talk about Bariatic Surgery given by Dr. Mustafa Mohammed Tahir, a Bariatric Surgeon at I Heal Medical Center and KPJ Ampang Puteri.

According to Dr. Mustafa, through bariatric surgery, patients will be able to control their appetite because the intake of food and the number of nutrients successfully absorbed by the patient's body can be controlled naturally and this will make the patient gain ideal weight. However, bariatric surgery is not for everyone because obese patients need to undergo screening tests and supervise a batriatric surgeon first to determine if they are truly eligible for bariatric surgery or vice versa.

The Basic Requirement To Be Eligible for A Bariatric Surgery

1. The patient needs to have a bodyweight reading of over 30
2. The patient also has other ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, difficulty sleeping and so (not a must)
3. Failed in losing weight through diet and exercise
4. Of course, the patient must also be 18 years old. There are also incidents where those below 18 years old are also eligible for the surgery, with the consent of their parents.

Bariatric surgery is a safe and low-risk weight loss method. After undergoing the surgery, the patients will not only lose their ideal weight but also gain 'new life' as their health and fitness levels improve. The ideal weight of the patient is also permanent and the patient will not have the problem of 'rebound obesity' again. The best thing about this surgery is that it is not a major surgery and one will be on one's feet within 2 days to a week.

Present during the sharing was his former patients - comedian Rahim Sepahtu and singer Nora. Rahim shared with us their journeys from being obesity to his ideal weight ie his current self. 

Rahim shared that he was diagnosed with serious sleep apnea that he was instructed to sleep using the breathing equipment and he was in constant fear that he might sleep while driving and causes fatal injury to him or his family. 

To know more about his journey in assisting people with obesity, follow Dr. Mustafa on his Instagram (Dr Mustafa) and you'll find more testimonies and the success stories of bariatric surgery. 

Mdm Rafeah (016-2330678) will also be able to assist you with your queries on the bariatric surgery.

Rawlins GLAM
012.280.1977