Youth opt for bariatric surgery to shed weight

Marriage proposals, showbiz and even good job prospects are some of the reasons why an increasing number of youngsters are opting for bariatric surgery. 

Twenty-four-year-old Nikita (name changed) is a typical example. When her parents were unable to find her a good life partner because of her weight, they took her to a bariatric surgeon. 

After the procedure, she managed to shed close to 40 kilos in two months and soon, her marriage was fixed. Bariatrics, a laparoscopic surgery is performed on the stomach or intestines where weight loss is achieved by reducing the size of the stomach with a gastric band or through removal of a portion of the stomach or by resecting and re-routing the small intestine to a small stomach pouch (gastric bypass surgery). Dr Anirudh JR, laproscopic surgeon, Lifeline Hospitals, says that at least three out of 10  patients who undergo the treatment are youngsters. 

“Most often, their lifestyle doesn’t help them to shed the excess weight. They turn to bariatric procedure. And, after the procedure, the women are a happy lot because their marriages are fixed. In other cases, weight loss leads to more regular menstrual cycles and helps solve the problem of infertility,” he says. 

“A large number of them are from Chennai and Tamil Nadu, with the rest coming from other Southern States and abroad. Many of them seeking treatment for infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome are referred to us by gynaecologists,” says Dr Deepak Subramanian, Consultant, Laproscopy and Bariatric Surgery, Fortis Malar. 

Dr JS Rajkumar, Advanced Laproscopic and Bariatric Surgeon, Lifeline Institute of Minimal Access Surgery, Kilpauk, says, “Many who come to me when they are unsuitable for the procedure due to problems in organs. But for a suitable candidate, the procedure can add 15 years to the lives of the people who undergo it. Ministers like Gadkari, Venkiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley have spoken openly about their surgery.”