How to manage your weight (in Hindi and English)
Summary
This long talk, given in a mix of Hindi and English in 2022, covers the basics of weight management. Medicine options and their availability in India have changed a great deal since then, so read the video’s discussion of specific medicines as historical and ask your doctor about current choices.
The main topics are:
- What obesity is. How BMI is calculated, why Indians have higher risk at a lower BMI, and why fat inside the abdomen matters more than fat under the skin.
- Why weight is gained. Genes, the environment in the womb (including the mother’s sugar levels in pregnancy), eating by the clock or by emotion rather than hunger, and other habits. He clears up two common beliefs: insulin levels are not a useful test for most people, and PCOS is more often a result of weight gain than its cause.
- Realistic goals. He recommends aiming for about 5% weight loss in the first three months and about 10% over time, rather than a fixed large number in a short time.
- Lifestyle. Choose a diet you can live with, because there is no single best diet. Increase activity step by step, and protect your sleep.
- Medicines. Medicines for obesity can help selected people, but they work alongside lifestyle changes, not instead of them.
Read more about who should consider weight-loss medicines and BMI cut-offs for Indians.