SWAT: Health experts have said that obesity was the root cause of most of the diseases.

“Unfortunately Pakistan ranks 10th in the world in terms of obesity where it is on the rise constantly,” they told a seminar held at Luqman International Hospital Swat the other day.

Malakand Commissioner Syed Zaheerul Islam was chief guest on the occasion while Dr Jawad Iqbal, Dr Niaz Ali, Dr Farooq Khan, Dr Abbas, Dr Inayat Khan, civil society members and patients, who underwent the obesity surgeries, attended the seminar.

The speakers said that obesity was the root cause of many diseases including hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart ailments, gallbladder problems, sleep apnea and breathing problems, depression, anxiety and other mental disorders and joint pains.

“Luckily with the introduction of bariatric and metabolic surgery, obesity can be controlled. With the treatment of obesity, the patient not only leads a normal life but also can be saved from other diseases,” they said and added that awareness must be raised among the people to control obesity.

They said that obesity was growing in Pakistan fast and it could be ranked third in the world in the next three years. “The rate of obesity is higher in Swat than other areas. Proper information and education must be provided to people to raise awareness about the disease,” they said.

The health experts said that more than 50 successful surgeries were conducted in Luqman International Hospital and it was the highest number of such operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They said that some years ago, patients from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would go abroad to undergo such surgery. “Now patients from abroad come to Swat for the surgery,” they added.

Those patients, who underwent the surgeries, also expressed their satisfaction. They said that every person, who was suffering from obesity, must undergo the surgery to get rid of several health issues.

Commissioner Syed Zaheerul Islam appreciated the hospital management and said that it was encouraging that people from abroad were coming to Swat for treatment.

The commissioner and other guests also cut a cake on 50 successful surgeries for obesity.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2022