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Ahad Ali never thought he could have a heart attack at the age of 39. The outside looks fit but hiding the bulge around his waist, he thought his occasional breathing was just stress. But one evening, chest pain became unbearable. The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases took to Karachi, their emergency angio plastic. Doctors had serious news: it was not just genetics-it was a stomach fat that mobilized the deadly incident near it.
Zahid’s case is not an exception. This is a crisis that is spreading rapidly and quietly in Pakistan. Experts are now calling obesity a national emergency and “mother of all non -communication diseases.” It is not just stealing breaths – it is stealing jaternity, fertility and life.
In the recent survey, more than 80 % of Pakistani adults have been found with unhealthy waist lines. At least 70 % of the adult population is now obesity, and it is not just about eyes. Doctors say this is also a malnutrition crisis – people are using more but are getting sick. The abundance of calories, sugar and fat is made with a dangerous deficiency of essential nutrients, which is why the doctor is called “obesity”.
The most worrying thing is how this wave is quietly destroying men’s health. According to endocrinologists, the abdominal fat hormone acts in men, which converts testosterone into estrogen through an enzyme called aromatis. As a result, many men begin to lose their masculinity.
Dr. Khurram Shahzad, a senior endocrinologist, has explained that the deficiency of testosterone caused by obesity is not only affecting sexual performance but also causes mood defects, sleep disruption and early age. “Many men do not even know that their hormones are falling,” he said. “They come only after their marriages, careers or mental health.”
He highlighted the case of 45 -year -old Ahmed Ali, who expanded his life in length of his waist and exposed his life. Ahmed said, “I was always tired, I could not pay attention, and closeness became a problem.” “He lost my confidence.”
The hormonal effect of abdominal fat is particularly dangerous in South Asian men, which are genetically more sensitive to central obesity than Western populations. In Asian men, metabolic syndrome and heart disease are considered to be a high risk of waist at 90 cm (35 inches). Many people in Pakistan are far ahead of this doorstep.
But men are not just victims. Obesity is now leading to infertility in women, causing high fat hormonal imbalance, which causes elliptical problems, menstruation irregularities and policite ovary syndrome.
Dr. Asma Ahmed, of Aga Khan University Hospital, has warned, “Weight weight gain is often at the root of reproductive problems. We are seeing more and more, especially in young women.” It cited dangerous figures: 35 % of women and 28 % of children in Pakistan are obese. “We are nurturing a generation that is more and more nutritious,” he added.
Experts are now calling obesity a national emergency and “mother of all non -communication diseases.” It is not just stealing breaths – it is stealing jaternity, fertility and life.
In childhood, the link between obesity and health problems in the future is becoming more and more clear. Stupid lifestyle, screen addiction, fast food and sugar drinks are contributing to nutritional obesity epidemic in children. These children are at risk of diabetes, hypertension, liver disease and early heart attack.
At a recent health screening camp held at the Karachi Press Club in partnership with Gates Pharma, 77 % of journalists and their families were found to be overweight or obesity. What is even more surprising is that 26 % were in newly diagnosed diabetes patients, and many people raised blood pressure and cholesterol levels, without having to do medical checkups before.
“We have become normal because of being unhealthy. Most people do not exercise poorly and do not even know their blood pressure or sugar levels,” said Dr. Nazesh Butt, a Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center.
There are solutions, but they need a commitment. Experts say that weight loss 5 to 10kg can also dramatically improve hormone levels and metabolic health. Basic steps such as daily fast walking, a high protein diet, cutting sugar, reducing screen time, controlling stress and 7-8 hours of sleep helps reverse the initial loss.
For those who are struggling, medicines now offer new hope. Semiglotide, a GLP -1 receptor Egonist, has shown dramatic results of weight loss by reducing appetite, improving insulin sensitivity and promoting fat burning. Originally designed for diabetes, it is now being used worldwide to manage obesity with the names of Ozampk and Vigo. Other medicines such as larlytide and tirazipitide are also being suggested, but experts have emphasized that they should be used under proper medical supervision.
Dr. Wajiha Javed, from Gates Pharma, explained that the study of the country’s first mini -frameangham survey, which more than 80 % of Pakistani women and 70 % of men were found to be obese. He added that 50 % of adult hypertensions are, and one in every three is diabetes. “People are living with silent diseases that they do not know about them,” he said. Gates Pharma has launched a three -year move to tackle the crisis through initial screening, community engagement, and training of health care workers.
Obesity should be treated like any other chronic disease, leading Endocrinologist Professor Abbas Raza. “This is not just power or cheap,” he said. It is a metabolic condition that needs medical help. ” “We have effective tools – light styling changes, medicines, even surgery – but they need to be used quickly and properly.”
Pakistan is now at a confluence. Obesity is not just about size – it’s about survival. It is attacking the power of the nation, its family, its children and its future. Stomach fat that is not so joke about is not a joke. It is an organ that is poisoning the body from the inside. And unless we act – change how we eat, how we move and how we think about health – this slow, silent killer will continue to steal more than just years. It will steal who we are.
The author is an investigative reporter, who currently covers health, science, environment and water problems for News International.
