CENTRE FOR OBESITY DIABETES AND ENDOCRINE SCIENCES

It is disheartening to note that diabetes as a non-communicable disease is growing in epidemic proportions particularly in India. With an estimated 129 million patients, India is set to become the diabetes capital of the world by 2040. The prevalence of diabetes in Kerala is estimated at 16% as compared to the national prevalence of 8.7%.

The most important factors contributing to the growth of diabetes are obesity, sedentary lifestyle, western food culture and stress. Epidemiological studies have revealed that the prevalence of obesity goes in tandem with that of diabetes. There is five-fold increase in the prevalence of obesity in India over the last 40 years. Reducing 10 % of weight with the help of restricted calorie intake and moderate physical activity in obese subjects will not only reduce the risk of diabetes but help to reverse diabetes in the early course of the disease.

Recent data suggests that diabetes control is sub-optimal in India with an average HbA1C (glycated hemoglobin represents 3 months average glucose levels) of 8.5%. Poor glucose control in the long run would not only contribute to morbidity and mortality but also add to the humongous cost incurred in the management of diabetes.

In this backdrop it is imperative on every health care provider to enhance their efforts to offer more focused and patient centric care to improve diabetes control. The idea of “Centre for Obesity Diabetes and Endocrine Sciences” is conceived on this principle.

To justify our motto- “Lose weight… and win over diabetes”, our focus is to make our patients lose 5-10% of their body weight by various means. We run state-of- the art diabetes counseling and education module. It would not only improve the overall perception and attitude of our patients towards diabetes but also help them to control diabetes with weight reduction and appropriate medications.

Our centre also offers specialized care in the field of thyroid and other endocrine disorders..