Obesity Is Not a Weight Problem, but a Chronic Disease

The Chair of the Indonesian Obesity Study Association (Hisobi), Professor Dante Saksono Harbuwono, has stressed that obesity must be viewed as a chronic disease, not simply a matter of appearance or body shape. The condition can increase the risk of various serious illnesses, ranging from heart disease to cancer. “Obesity is no longer about weight affecting body shape that makes us embarrassed, it is not like that. Obesity is a disease because with obesity we can get heart disease and even cancer risk,” said Prof. Dante, quoted on Sunday (5/7). According to Dante, genetic factors play an important role in the development of obesity. He referred to the Human Genome Project, which showed that certain gene patterns make some people more susceptible to weight gain. “So there are people who think, ‘Ah, I just drink water and I get fat,’ or ‘Even though I have been watching what I eat, I still get fat.’ Well, those are people who carry the obesity gene,” he said. Although influenced by genetic factors, Dante emphasised that obesity can still be managed through various therapeutic approaches. Improving diet, for example, can help reduce weight by about five per cent. If accompanied by exercise and the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, weight loss can reach 5–10 per cent. On the other hand, bariatric surgery, an operation to reduce food absorption, is said to be able to reduce weight by up to 25–30 per cent. Between these two approaches, according to Dante, therapy using weight-loss drugs plays a role in filling the effectiveness gap. Certain drugs work through mechanisms that affect gene expression, thereby helping to control weight in obese patients. “If he uses a specific drug, the gene that has been patterned will undergo a process called the epigenetic gene process. This is a learning process for genes that have been patterned in a person’s body so that their nature will change. With medication, weight can drop by up to 20 per cent,” he explained.