Niranjan is a UConn Health primary care physician whose expertise includes obesity medicine. She sees patients in UConn Health\u2019s West Hartford office, 65 Kane St.<\/a><\/p>\n Obesity is linked to more than 200 diseases and disorders, and its strain on the American health care system surpasses $425 billion, according to the Obesity Care Week organizers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe associate obesity with disease, many that should be obvious to most of us by now,\u201d Niranjan says. \u201cExcess belly fat tops the list of risk factors that we refer to collectively as the metabolic syndrome. It is the root cause for heart disease, lipid problems, hypertension, type 2 diabetes \u2013 and even things like dementia, cancer, polycystic ovarian syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Put another way, if we can treat or avoid obesity today, we won\u2019t have to deal with a lot of other problems tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n The designation of \u201cobese\u201d is based on a formula that takes into account a person\u2019s height and weight. This calculation yields what\u2019s known as the person\u2019s body mass index (BMI). A BMI ranging from 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal. Less than 18.5 is considered underweight, 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.<\/p>\n \u201cStudies have shown that a reduction of 5% to 10% of body fat helps change the metabolic disease,\u201d Niranjan says. \u201cLifestyle change with balanced nutrition and physical activity will help achieve this.\u201d<\/p>\n Niranjan offers a physician-supervised weight loss program. The focus is on realistic, sustainable weight loss that treats the sick fat disease.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at it as a diet, to get down to your goal weight, and then you go back to what you were doing before, you\u2019ll regain the weight,\u201d Niranjan says. \u201cYou may want to focus on one change, get used to it, and then add another change.\u201d<\/p>\n A physician-supervised approach to weight loss can lead to a better scientific understanding of weight management, and more of a focus on the long game.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember it is neither a sprint race nor a marathon. It is a journey,\u201d Niranjan says. \u201cI tell patients, all calories are not equal. A piece of fresh fruit and a glass of fruit juice may have similar calorie counts, but the fresh fruit is a much better use of those calories, largely because of the fiber. The numbers on the nutrition label are important, but they\u2019re just one part of making good decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Working with a physician to treat obesity may present additional options for some patients, including certain medications or surgical intervention. Bariatric surgery has specific guidelines and physicians can make a referral for appropriate patients. Medications shown to treat obesity require a prescription.<\/p>\n \u201cWith a multi-disciplinary approach obesity can be managed effectively and complications like blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and joint pain can be controlled,\u201d Niranjan says. \u201cLet\u2019s work together and reverse this epidemic.\u201d<\/p>\n In the truest sense, Niranjan also walks the walk. Outside the clinic, she helps lead the <\/span><\/span>UConn chapter of Walk With a Future Doc<\/a><\/span>, which facilitates regularly scheduled free walk-and-talks with physicians, physician trainees, and members of the public. The group plans to resume the walks on the second and fourth Saturday of the month this spring. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n March 4 is World Obesity Day.<\/p>\n The Obesity Action Coalition, the Obesity Society, the STOP Obesity Alliance, the Obesity Medicine Association, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery collectively launched Obesity Care Week in 2015, to address what they describe as a lack of appropriate science and clinically-based care.<\/p>\n![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/200228-OCW2020-Infographic-232x300.jpg\")
![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Ninranjan-walk-with-doc-FB-300x200.jpg\")