Pawandeep Varma (name changed), 48, a NRI working in Singapore, my neighbour, currently in Goa came to my clinic few days back with H/O (history of) long standing complaints of shortness of breath, pain in knees, tiredness, numbness in extremities….He carried with him a huge belly which could be seen protruding out between the two buttons of his shirt. It was evident from his body language that he was proud of this life time’s ‘trophy’!
O/E (on examination) his BP and Blood sugar levels were critically high. Further investigations showed very high triglycerides levels (in lipid profile).
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With these abnormal parameters Pawandeep qualifies for metabolic syndrome X’. This syndrome has 4 cardinal symptoms namely obesity (big waist line), high sugar, high BP and high triglyceride/cholesterol levels).
A protuberant, oversized belly is not a pleasant sight. A man can hide his wealth but not his paunch! Middle age paunch is an indicator of obesity. It is the accumulation of visceral fat surrounding the abdominal organs which is harmful and which can lead to insulin resistance and often a precursor to metabolic syndrome as mentioned above. It is said that longer the waist line shorter the lifeline and that wide waist can drive a person to early grave.
To be a candidate for this serious disorder (metabolic syndrome) means invitation to various life threatening diseases like CVA (stroke), CAD (coronary artery disease), the precursor of heart attack, Type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis of knee, cancer and so on. Obesity with potbelly leads to various illnesses mentioned above and can spell doom any moment.
Two or three decades back, a well- off person projected his paunch in society proudly and never felt guilty about it. A big round, rotund, tummy, was supposed to be a sign of wealth and prosperity. There was no so much awareness about obesity related health hazards at that time. Comparatively today’s generation, youngsters, as well as middle aged persons are well informed about the health risks linked to potbelly and obesity. This generation knows the importance of balanced diet, regular exercise, proper hydration, positive attitude towards fitness et, el.
Modern concept no longer holds potbelly as a symbol of affluence but it is viewed upon as ‘potpourri ‘of myriad diseases!
Having said that, at one end of the spectrum, as today’s fast paced, calorie conscious, fitness freak, individuals try to maintain their Zero figure with vigorous exercises and keto diets…on other side there still exists , a sizeable portion of population with potbellies and tyres of fat above their belts roaming across the globe, their tribe ever rising. They, in spite of being aware of the consequences of consuming negative diet,— indulge in excess alcohol, fast (junk) foods, processed read meat, trans fats et el.
Be that as it may, on the eve of his departure, as always, Pawandeep came to me to say goodbye, and said “see you next year Sir” which I reciprocated and then further added “take care“.
I hope Pawandeep will take his health issues seriously and realize the gravity of his illnesses and work on it during his stay abroad.
I also hope to see him in good shape during his next visit – with fit, fine, figure and flat tummy.
