World Diabetes Day: Prof Attri stresses bariatric surgery’s role in tackling obesity-driven diabetes

Kathua, Nov 14: Marking World Diabetes Day 2025, Prof Attri, a noted laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon and professor of surgery, underscored the growing role of bariatric surgery in managing diabetes caused by obesity, calling it a crucial intervention as India faces a worsening obesity-driven health crisis.

Prof Attri, as per a statement, made these comments while delivering a talk at GMC Kathua during a conference.

“As we all know, obesity has become a global health crisis with its financial burden on every country in the world, and India is no exception. In our country, one in four persons are obese and overweight, leading to obesity-related diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and heart attacks, joint diseases, sleep apnoea, infertility, etc.,” Prof Atrri said as per the statement.

The statement added that all these diseases lead to bad effects on health, thereby decreasing the life expectancy of people who are affected by them.

“Lifestyle modifications like regular exercise and diet control are helpful in many cases up to a certain stage, as is the medical treatment of obesity, which is costly as well as associated with side effects”, the statement added.

Moreover, the weight comes back along with diabetes once you stop the drugs, and here comes the role of bariatric and metabolic surgery, recommended by all the world obesity and cardiac associations like IFSO, etc., because obesity surgery provides long-term weight loss and control of diabetes and hypertension associated with obesity with minimal complications.

“It is the responsibility of the media, medical experts and the government of the day to spread awareness about this emerging health crisis which is impacting our health and burdening our healthcare systems,” the statement read.