A Compassionate Reminder
Obesity is not a personal failing, but a complex medical condition. It deserves the same care and compassion as any other chronic illness. With timely lifestyle changes, medical guidance, and support, health risks can be dramatically reduced, and quality of life restored.
What Do Doctors Mean by Obesity?
Modern medicine defines obesity as ABCD — Adiposity-Based Chronic Disease, emphasizing that it is not simply about body size, but about unhealthy fat accumulation that causes harm.
- WHO definition: BMI ≥ 30 (≥ 25 for Asians, who are at risk even at “normal” weights).
- Edmonton Obesity Staging: Goes beyond BMI to look at medical, mental, and functional health.
- Hidden risk in Asians: Many Indians have “normal weight obesity” — lean by BMI but carrying dangerous visceral fat.
Why Visceral Fat Matters
Visceral fat surrounds vital organs. It is closely linked with epicardial fat (around the heart) and with MAFLD (Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease), increasing risks of diabetes, heart disease, and liver complications.
Health Risks of Obesity
Obesity silently increases the risk of:
- Heart disease and hypertension
- Diabetes and high triglycerides
- Kidney disease
- Cancers (breast, colon, pancreas, liver, among others)
- Joint disease and reduced mobility
- Liver disease (MAFLD)
Risk Reduction with Weight Loss — The Hope
The Good News — Even Small Weight Loss Helps! Research shows that every bit of weight loss improves health:
Cuts risk of type 2 diabetes by ~50% in high-risk people. Improves blood pressure and triglycerides. Improves liver health in MAFLD.
Reduces risk of heart disease by 20–25%. Lowers risk of several cancers (especially breast and colon) by ~20%. Relieves joint pain and improves mobility.
“The Power of 1”
Lowers diabetes risk by ~16% in overweight people.
Lowers systolic blood pressure by ~1 mmHg.
Improves cholesterol, sugar, and blood pressure measurably.
The Power of 15% Weight Loss: Lowering Cancer Risks with Caring Determination
- Hormone-sensitive cancers (like breast, endometrial): Sustained, modest weight loss significantly lowers the risk — especially postmenopausal breast and endometrial cancer. For example, losing and keeping off just 2–4.5 kg was linked to an ~13% reduction in invasive breast cancer risk (hazard ratio 0.87). Larger sustained weight loss (≥9 kg) offered even greater reduction, especially in women not using hormone therapy.
- Overall and obesity-related cancers: Bariatric surgery (causing ~25–35% weight loss) has shown an approximate 45% reduction in obesity-related cancers (pooled odds ratio 0.55) and reduced overall cancer risk (OR 0.72). Weight-loss medications (GLP-1 receptor agonists) — which can induce ~15% weight loss — have been linked to significant cancer risk reductions: a major study found about a 19% lower risk of developing 13 obesity-related cancers (including breast and colorectal) among patients treated with GLP-1 drugs.
Our research in this area
Peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations by Dr. Vishal Gupta and colleagues.
- Gupta V, et al. Effect of oral semaglutide on weight & cardiac biomarkers in patients with hypothyroidism treated using liothyronine + levothyroxine combination therapy. Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes. Endocrine Abstracts 2023;94:P349. doi:10.1530/endoabs.94.P349
- Gupta V. Comparison of Effectiveness of Canagliflozin 300 mg plus Gliptin vs. Oral Semaglutide plus SGLT2i on Cardiorenal Markers in T2DM Patients. Diabetes 2025;74(Suppl_1):30–PUB. doi:10.2337/db25-30-PUB
Worried about your obesity? Start with a calm conversation.
In-person at Tardeo, Mumbai, or a secure video consult — confirmed by our team the same day.