ISLAMABAD: Chronic obesity is silently killing and crippling thousands of relatively young Pakistanis every year, with new evidence showing that more than 100 million adults are now overweight or obese.

This was stated by national and international health experts at a moot in Islamabad.

They said the disease was fueling an alarming rise in diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, cancers, infertility and obstructive sleep apnea. They stressed that without urgent interventions, Pakistan will face an unprecedented public health disaster.

Dr Waseem Hanif, Professor of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Birmingham, described obesity as “a normal response to an abnormal environment.”

He said nearly 2.5 billion people over 18 worldwide were overweight, and one billion were obese, adding that South Asians faced even higher risks at lower body weights.

“The ideal BMI is 18–25, but for South Asians it should be around 23. Obesity is a chronic disease that kills at a young age, cripples through sleep apnea, and destroys quality of life. In Pakistan, over 100 million people are obese. A revolutionary new treatment like tirzepatide is a fresh breeze — capable of reducing weight by up to 25 per cent — but it must go hand in hand with balanced diet and regular exercise. Obesity is a disease, and its main symptom is hunger,” he emphasised.

Prof. Saleem Qureshi, Head of Medicine at KRL Hospital Islamabad, said: “if current trends continue, over 57 per cent of Pakistani children will be obese by the time they reach 35 years of age. Obesity must be treated as a chronic disease with medication and lifestyle modification, because most Pakistanis seek medical care far too late,” he warned.

Echoing these concerns, Prof. Jamal Zafar noted: “Doctors must guide patients towards exercise, physical activity and a balanced diet. Exercise does not increase appetite — it reduces it. Lifestyle change is essential alongside treatment.”

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2025