Dr. Vikram .R. Lotwala

This is a very recent study published in New England journal of Medicine. This Swedish study was done on volunteers, who were randomly given diet of high and low carbs, high and low proteins and high and low fats. The result were very surprising. Results in the study shows that Satiety, hunger, satisfaction with the diet, and attendance at group sessions were similar for all diets; attendance was strongly associated with weight loss (0.2 kg per session attended). The diets improved lipid-related risk factors and fasting insulin levels. At 6 months, participants assigned to each diet had lost an average of 6 kg, which represented 7% of their initial weight; they began to regain weight after 12 months. By 2 years, weight loss remained similar in those who were assigned to a diet with 15% protein and those assigned to a diet with 25% protein (3.0 and 3.6 kg, respectively); in those assigned to a diet with 20% fat and those assigned to a diet with 40% fat (3.3 kg for both groups)...

Obese teenage boys are as likely to die young as peers who smoke more than half a pack of cigarettes a day, a Swedish study found. Obesity or heavy smoking each more than doubled the risk of premature death in a survey of more than 45,000 Swedish men in their late teens, Karolinska Institute researchers said on Wednesday. “The normal-weight heavy smokers and the non-smoking obese individuals have exactly the same risk,” lead author Martin Neovius, an assistant professor at the Stockholmbased institute, said. “The risk of obesity at this age is comparable to smoking more than 10 cigarettes a day”, he added. Data came from military records from Swedish men born from 1949 to 1951 who took physicals after being drafted at about age 18

These days you come often across some emails claiming that one of your relatives abroad has expired and left lot of property in his will for you. Some mails offer you lucrative jobs abroad. One you get touch with this people, they ask about a 100,000 rs as processing or visa charge. Once that amount is deposited, these scamsters disappear. Lot od people are gettig duped in this fashion. Please beware of such mails.

SURAT: The city-based Nirmal Hospital has set up bariatric surgery unit, the first in south Gujarat region, for obese Surtis, who have been unable to achieve significant weight loss through diet modifications and exercise programmes. Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, refers to various surgical procedures performed to treat obesity by modification of gastrointestinal tract to reduce nutrient intake and absorption for attaining more healthy body weight. The first bariatric surgery was performed by the unit on January 29 on a 32-year-old man weighing 145 kg. His name was however not disclosed. The patient, who is suffering from blood sugar, high blood pressure and joint pains, reduced 10 kg after the operation in a fortnight. Dr Vikram Lotwala, bariatric surgeon with the unit said, "The technique aims at reducing the capacity of stomach from 1500 ml to only 150 ml. Every year, about 40,000 bariatric surgeries are performed in the US, compared to only 1,000 in Indi...

The Times of India, Mumbai reports in 18 Feb 2009 edition that- In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stepped in to check the harassment of doctors in medical negligence cases. A division bench of Justice Markandey Katju and Justice G S Singhvi held that consumer and criminal courts would have to seek the opinion of a doctor or a panel of doctors before issuing a notice to a medical practioner or hospital in a case alleging negligence. The fresh guidelines set by the apex court stipulate that whenever a consumer forum or criminal court receives a complaint against a doctor, it should refer the matter to a panel of experts in the field. Only after the committee reports that there is a prima facie case of medical negligence should a notice be issued to the concerned doctor or hospital. “This is necessary to avoid harassment to doctors who may not be ultimately found to be negligent,’’ the bench observed. It added, “The courts and consumer fora are not experts in medical sc...

Its indeed a proud moment for us Indian doctors. This was a 4 month old baby girl . A 'conventional eye transplant' which involves only the cornea of the eye from a donor would not have helped this baby girl of farm hands Kala and Govindarajan, from Mambakkam village in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district But in an "out-of-the-box" surgery, the Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital declared that for the "first time in the world" their specialists' team has "successfully performed an "Anterior Segment eye (full front portion of the eye) transplantation". "It has restored both the normal appearance and vision in the baby's right eye," an excited Prof. Amar Agarwal, heading the team and the Hospital's Joint Managing Director, disclosed at a press conference

Our children are gaining weight at enormous pace. This is what a latest research done in Mumbai school says. The cause is obviously the life style change and the diet we are providing to our kinds. These obese children will become obese adults. The dreaded diseases associated with obesity like Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension will hit them earlier. Its high time for parents to take notice. How to solve this problem? Its actually not very difficult. These are some simple measure suggested : . Children should have at least four hours of rigorous physical activity (swimming, cycling, cricket, jogging etc) in a week . Avoid eating out more than twice to thrice a week . Parents should follow the ‘Asian healthy eating pyramid’ which prescribes six servings of fruits and vegetables per day, followed by cereals and pulses, milk and milk products with the least emphasis on fats and sweets