Experts warn obesity resulting in many diseases

KARACHI: Calling obesity a full-blown epidemic that has engulfed Pakistan in recent years, leading gastroenterologists and liver specialists have warned that excess body weight is now the leading cause of fatty liver disease, liver failure, and a major reason for the rising demand for liver transplants in the country.

Urging people to adopt healthy eating habits and become physically active to avoid premature deaths and costly medical interventions, experts also warned that unhealthy lifestyles and obesity are contributing to an alarming rise in colorectal cancer cases among the relatively young population in Pakistan. They were speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 7th Annual Conference of the Pakistan GI and Liver Disease Society (PGLDS) at a local hotel, which brought together local and international experts despite ongoing global unrest.

Dr Lubna Kamani, President of PGLDS, stressed that obesity is now deeply intertwined with fatty liver disease and a wide range of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. “While we now have new medications available for obesity and fatty liver, prevention is still the best strategy. We must eat less but healthy and stay physically active,” she said, while also pointing to a sharp increase in colorectal cancer among young adults, which she linked to unhealthy dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles. “We need to immediately launch a national colorectal screening program in Pakistan before this silent threat claims more lives.”

Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Sindh Health Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch welcomed delegates from across the country and acknowledged the serious challenges patients face in accessing GI and liver care.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025