Anti-obesity medicines should be used very judiciously: Jitendra Singh

New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday struck a word of caution on anti-obesity drugs, saying such medicines should be used "very judiciously".

Singh, a noted diabetologist, said obesity is a complex, chronic and relapsing disorder, and not merely a cosmetic or lifestyle concern.

He called for a whole-of-society approach to effectively combat what has emerged as one of India's most pressing public health challenges.

Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day "Asia Oceania Conference on Obesity" (AOCO), Singh said obesity was too serious a subject to be left to a physician or epidemiologist alone, as it has deep social, cultural, and environmental roots.

Singh said India was witnessing a worrying rise in Non-Communicable Diseases, which are linked to obesity and account for nearly 63 per cent of overall mortality.

He said that conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers are linked to obesity, including central or visceral obesity, which is particularly prevalent among Indians.

The minister cautioned against the growing commercialization and misinformation surrounding obesity management and said that unscientific claims and quick-fix solutions often mislead people and distract them from evidence-based care.

He stressed that formal approvals alone do not always tell the full story in clinical practice, and recalled how the widespread adoption of refined oils in earlier decades led to unintended long-term health consequences. PTI SKU NB NB