Growing burden of obesity a threat to the society, say doctors

Obesity, a rapidly rising epidemic, is affecting and threatening the modern society, said speakers at a meeting held here on Friday.

The Devadoss Hospital, commemorating its 200th academic forum, conducted the continuous medical education in which senior practising doctors, surgeons, PG students from the medical colleges and other clinical staffs participated.

Commending A. Devadoss, the founder of Devadoss Hospital, Government Rajaji Hospital Dean L Arul Sundaresh Kumar said that the academic forum has evolved into a cornerstone of knowledge exchange, clinical discussion, and professional development for the medical fraternity.

As a significant highlight of this milestone, the 200th academic forum featuring ‘OBESICON’, underscores the growing burden of obesity and its wide-ranging impact on overall health, quality of life, and long-term morbidity.

OBESICON adopts a multidisciplinary approach, with experts from various specialists presenting insights on obesity from their respective domains — including Diabetology, Pulmonology, Surgery, Cardiology and Behavioural Psychology.

The speakers stressed on regular exercise, diet, sleep and among others on a daily schedule. Outdoor exercise is essential to keep the body fit and flexible for all age groups. With rising activities on mobile phones and spending long hours on social media platforms or viewing television et al, had led to a burden on the society, they cautioned and urged 40 to 60 minutes exercise daily and seven hours sleep.

This comprehensive perspective emphasizes the importance of collaborative care in the prevention, evaluation, and management of obesity and its associated complications.

In recent years, Devadoss Hospital has been at the forefront of surgical innovation in southern Tamil Nadu, notably introducing one of the region’s most advanced robotic systems for orthopaedic joint replacement surgery, significantly enhancing precision, recovery, and patient outcomes. The hospital is soon launching a new general robotic surgery platform — expanding robotic-assisted care beyond orthopaedics into a broader range of surgical specialties, said Satish Devadoss, vice-chairman and added that the upcoming advancement underscores the hospital’s mission to bring high-end surgical technology within reach of patients locally, reducing the need for travel to distant cities.

The CME sessions have become a trusted forum for interdisciplinary learning and innovation, said Hema Satish, MD of the hospital.