As you are aware, obesity is associated with a host of diseases that include diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart disease, stroke, fatty liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea, gout, gall bladder stones, osteoarthritis, heart failure and increased chances of death. The treatment of obesity is aimed at reducing the risk of these diseases and death. It is known that the higher the degree of obesity, the higher the risk of developing these diseases, but different people can develop these diseases at various levels of BMI.
Anti-obesity drugs are indicated if
1. The BMI is 30 kg/m2 or more.
2. The BMI is 27 kg /m2 or more in the presence of an obesity-related disease like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart disease or sleep apnea.
It is known that people in India can develop complications of obesity at lower levels of BMI, and the definition of obesity is beyond a BMI of 23 kg/m2. Please check with an endocrinologist to see if you will benefit from anti-obesity medicines.
Dr Mathew John MD, DM