What it is
Obesity is a long-term medical condition in which excess body fat affects health. It isn't simply about willpower: genes, hormones, medicines, sleep, stress, food habits and activity all play a part.
Excess weight, especially around the waist, raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, sleep apnoea, joint pain and heart disease. For South Asian people, these risks can begin at a lower body weight than in many other populations.
Sometimes a hormone problem, such as an underactive thyroid or Cushing's syndrome, contributes to weight gain and needs to be checked.
Common symptoms
Weight itself isn't a symptom, but it's worth looking at when you notice:
- Steady weight gain, particularly around the waist
- Getting breathless or tired with everyday activity
- Loud snoring or daytime sleepiness
- Pain in the knees or lower back
- Darkened, velvety skin in the neck folds
- Raised blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol on tests
When to see a specialist
- Your weight keeps rising despite your efforts
- You have diabetes, prediabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure or fatty liver along with excess weight
- You gained weight quickly or unexpectedly
- You suspect a medicine or hormone problem is affecting your weight
- You want medically supervised support rather than crash diets
Treatment and management
Lasting weight management is built step by step:
- Assessment: weight history, waist size, medicines, sleep and related conditions, with tests as needed
- Realistic targets: losing even 5–10% of body weight can bring real health benefits
- Food and activity plans that fit your culture, work and family life
- Medicines, where appropriate and safe, alongside lifestyle changes
- Treating related conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disease or PCOS
- Referral for surgery in selected cases
Crash diets and weight-loss pills taken without a prescription can be harmful. It's safer to plan with a doctor.
How an endocrinologist helps
Dr. Marium Zaman looks for medical and hormonal causes of weight gain, checks for related conditions such as diabetes and fatty liver, and builds a practical plan with you. Follow-up visits track progress and adjust the plan, without judgement.
