Surgery could help too
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Bariatic surgery, a procedure in which the stomach is shrunk to reduce food intake, is gaining popularity in Goa. In the last six months, seven such operations were carried out at a Margao hospital. Three patients were Goans, the rest foreigners. Michael Fernandes (name changed on request) was the first Goan to go under the bariatic scalpel. “I was 132 kg and could hardly stand. After the surgery, I lost 34 kg and am more active,” says the 37-year-old. Adding that he feels “healthier today than I ever did in my teens”, the insurance agent says the weight loss helped him “land a job of my choice”. There are three types of bariatic surgeries—laparoscopic gastric banding (lap band), gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. These are decided depending on individual problems. “For a morbidly obese person (with a BMI above 40), bariatic surgery (that costs between Rs 2 and Rs 3 lakh) is the only solution, as there is a 50-60% weight loss,” says Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, bariatic surgeon at Apollo Victor hospital. However, the surgery is not without complications. “Nearly 20% develop vitamin B deficiency and have to take vitamin tablets for life. Some also become anaemic, if they are not careful about their diet,” he says.
Michael agrees that he has to be careful about his diet and can’t smoke or drink. But he is not complaining. “I am happy to be alive and I now feel healthier,” says Michael.
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) indicates body fatness. It is calculated by dividing a person’s body weight by the square of one’s height. For example, if you weigh 52 kilos and your height is 5 ft (1.52 mtrs), your BMI is 23.111 {BMI = weight (kilos)/height (sq m)}.
BMI categories: Below 18.5 - Underweight 18.5 to 24.9 - Normal 25 to 29.9 - Overweight 30 & above - Obese
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Big Fat Goan Story
Surgery could help too
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Bariatic surgery, a procedure in which the stomach is shrunk to reduce food intake, is gaining popularity in Goa. In the last six months, seven such operations were carried out at a Margao hospital. Three patients were Goans, the rest foreigners. Michael Fernandes (name changed on request) was the first Goan to go under the bariatic scalpel. “I was 132 kg and could hardly stand. After the surgery, I lost 34 kg and am more active,” says the 37-year-old. Adding that he feels “healthier today than I ever did in my teens”, the insurance agent says the weight loss helped him “land a job of my choice”. There are three types of bariatic surgeries—laparoscopic gastric banding (lap band), gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. These are decided depending on individual problems. “For a morbidly obese person (with a BMI above 40), bariatic surgery (that costs between Rs 2 and Rs 3 lakh) is the only solution, as there is a 50-60% weight loss,” says Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, bariatic surgeon at Apollo Victor hospital. However, the surgery is not without complications. “Nearly 20% develop vitamin B deficiency and have to take vitamin tablets for life. Some also become anaemic, if they are not careful about their diet,” he says.
Michael agrees that he has to be careful about his diet and can’t smoke or drink. But he is not complaining. “I am happy to be alive and I now feel healthier,” says Michael.
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) indicates body fatness. It is calculated by dividing a person’s body weight by the square of one’s height. For example, if you weigh 52 kilos and your height is 5 ft (1.52 mtrs), your BMI is 23.111 {BMI = weight (kilos)/height (sq m)}.
BMI categories: Below 18.5 - Underweight 18.5 to 24.9 - Normal 25 to 29.9 - Overweight 30 & above - Obese
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Bariatic surgery, a procedure in which the stomach is shrunk to reduce food intake, is gaining popularity in Goa. In the last six months, seven such operations were carried out at a Margao hospital. Three patients were Goans, the rest foreigners. Michael Fernandes (name changed on request) was the first Goan to go under the bariatic scalpel. “I was 132 kg and could hardly stand. After the surgery, I lost 34 kg and am more active,” says the 37-year-old. Adding that he feels “healthier today than I ever did in my teens”, the insurance agent says the weight loss helped him “land a job of my choice”. There are three types of bariatic surgeries—laparoscopic gastric banding (lap band), gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. These are decided depending on individual problems. “For a morbidly obese person (with a BMI above 40), bariatic surgery (that costs between Rs 2 and Rs 3 lakh) is the only solution, as there is a 50-60% weight loss,” says Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, bariatic surgeon at Apollo Victor hospital. However, the surgery is not without complications. “Nearly 20% develop vitamin B deficiency and have to take vitamin tablets for life. Some also become anaemic, if they are not careful about their diet,” he says.
Michael agrees that he has to be careful about his diet and can’t smoke or drink. But he is not complaining. “I am happy to be alive and I now feel healthier,” says Michael.
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) indicates body fatness. It is calculated by dividing a person’s body weight by the square of one’s height. For example, if you weigh 52 kilos and your height is 5 ft (1.52 mtrs), your BMI is 23.111 {BMI = weight (kilos)/height (sq m)}.
BMI categories: Below 18.5 - Underweight 18.5 to 24.9 - Normal 25 to 29.9 - Overweight 30 & above - Obese
Silent killer stalking Goans
Silent killer stalking Goans
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Goan adults are far more overweight than other Indians and this is causing a serious concern among health professionals. And when it comes to being obese, Goan women outdo the men.
The percentage of women who are overweight or obese is 27, much higher than the all India figure of 14.8%. The men are not far behind though, with 20.8% of Goan men being obese or overweight, again higher than the all India percentage of 12.1. This has been revealed by the Health Intelligence Bureau report, 2007, of the Directorate of Health Services.
The year of reference for the data is 2005-06 and it reveals the nutritional status of adults (age 15 to 49).
“Obesity is a growing disease among Goans. It is a silent killer,” said Dr Digambar Naik from Vrundavan Hospital, Mapusa. Naik added that 60% of the patients above the age of 40 who come to the hospital are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30.
“Abdominal obesity is a problem in Goa and about one-third of the adult population is obese,” said Dr Rufino Monteiro from Vintage Hospital, Panaji.
A person with a BMI between 25 and 35 is deemed obese or overweight and those with BMI of 35 and above are considered to be morbidly obese.
“The socio-economic status in Goa being the highest in the country, we have the additional burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular ailments and cancer, which are linked to sedentary lifestyles that lead to obesity,” said Goa Medical College’s preventive and social medicine associate professor Dr Jagdish Cacodcar.
Sedentary lifestyle causing obesity
Panaji: Goans are more obese than other Indians, a study by the directorate of health services has revealed.
The problem lies in the lifestyle of the people. “We have a sedentary lifestyle, with not much physical activity. Besides, we are increasingly eating junk food that is adding to the problem,” said Dr Wiseman Pinto, head of the Pathology department, GMC.
Doctors said that obesity has to be controlled in childhood or it leads to pyscho-social problems, cardiovascular problems, endochrinal diseases, pulmonary, gastro-intestinal, muscular skeletal problems and even cancer in adulthood.
“With morbid obesity, majority of the organs collapse,” said Panaji based physician Dr Oscar Rebello. However, there has been no specific study in the state to show that obese people are more susceptible to hypertension, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and arthritis than healthy people.
Leading heart specialist Dr Uday Khanolkar, who daily sees about four new patients with heart ailments, said that though obesity is an independent risk factor for heart ailments, there are also other common risk factors such as age, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, genetic predisposition and consumption of cholesterol rich foods.
However, there is some good news. “Some 70% of overweight persons can return to normal weight with exercise and diet. However, the other 30% move from being obese to morbid obesity and develop complications related to obesity” said Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, bariatic surgeon at Apollo Victor hospital, Margao.
June 26, 2008, The Times of India , Goa edition
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Goan adults are far more overweight than other Indians and this is causing a serious concern among health professionals. And when it comes to being obese, Goan women outdo the men.
The percentage of women who are overweight or obese is 27, much higher than the all India figure of 14.8%. The men are not far behind though, with 20.8% of Goan men being obese or overweight, again higher than the all India percentage of 12.1. This has been revealed by the Health Intelligence Bureau report, 2007, of the Directorate of Health Services.
The year of reference for the data is 2005-06 and it reveals the nutritional status of adults (age 15 to 49).
“Obesity is a growing disease among Goans. It is a silent killer,” said Dr Digambar Naik from Vrundavan Hospital, Mapusa. Naik added that 60% of the patients above the age of 40 who come to the hospital are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30.
“Abdominal obesity is a problem in Goa and about one-third of the adult population is obese,” said Dr Rufino Monteiro from Vintage Hospital, Panaji.
A person with a BMI between 25 and 35 is deemed obese or overweight and those with BMI of 35 and above are considered to be morbidly obese.
“The socio-economic status in Goa being the highest in the country, we have the additional burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular ailments and cancer, which are linked to sedentary lifestyles that lead to obesity,” said Goa Medical College’s preventive and social medicine associate professor Dr Jagdish Cacodcar.
Sedentary lifestyle causing obesity
Panaji: Goans are more obese than other Indians, a study by the directorate of health services has revealed.
The problem lies in the lifestyle of the people. “We have a sedentary lifestyle, with not much physical activity. Besides, we are increasingly eating junk food that is adding to the problem,” said Dr Wiseman Pinto, head of the Pathology department, GMC.
Doctors said that obesity has to be controlled in childhood or it leads to pyscho-social problems, cardiovascular problems, endochrinal diseases, pulmonary, gastro-intestinal, muscular skeletal problems and even cancer in adulthood.
“With morbid obesity, majority of the organs collapse,” said Panaji based physician Dr Oscar Rebello. However, there has been no specific study in the state to show that obese people are more susceptible to hypertension, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and arthritis than healthy people.
Leading heart specialist Dr Uday Khanolkar, who daily sees about four new patients with heart ailments, said that though obesity is an independent risk factor for heart ailments, there are also other common risk factors such as age, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, genetic predisposition and consumption of cholesterol rich foods.
However, there is some good news. “Some 70% of overweight persons can return to normal weight with exercise and diet. However, the other 30% move from being obese to morbid obesity and develop complications related to obesity” said Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, bariatic surgeon at Apollo Victor hospital, Margao.
June 26, 2008, The Times of India , Goa edition
ANUJ JOSHI MURDER
ANUJ JOSHI MURDER
Joshi killer had burgled his house 4 times
Accused Claims His Intention Was Not To Murder, But To Demand Rs 50,000
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Somnath Shelar alias Raju Samanth, who has confessed to the gruesome and baffling murder of restaurateur Anuj Joshi at his house, barely a few yards from the Calangute police station, had burgled Joshi’s house four times before he
was arrested for the crime in October 2005.
However, a police complaint was lodged only once by the deceased.
Shelar was arrested on June 7, 2008 by the Calangute police for murdering Joshi on July 2, 2006. Police officials said that Shelar, after he was arrested in October for theft at Joshi’s house, was sent to eight months judicial custody.
“After his release, Shelar left for Pune and for 10 days was sleeping at the Pune railway station,” said an officer from the Calangute police.
Though Shelar is a resident of Memanwadi village in the Daund taluka of Pune, he has not visited his home since last eight years.
Police officials said that after 10 days, Shelar returned to Goa and few days later bought a kitchen knife from Mapusa.
“He claims that his intention was not to murder Joshi, but to demand Rs 50,000 from him by threatening with a knife,” said police.
They said that Shelar went to Joshi’s house on the night of July 1, but seeing the watchman, changed his plans and went to the woods near Joshi’s house to rest.
“He returned on the morning of July 2 at 6.30 am. On seeing Joshi sleeping, he tried to open the cupboard. When Joshi woke up and tried to confront Shelar, he hit him on the head thrice with an adjustable spanner, before he collapsed on the floor. Then he slit his throat with the kitchen knife,” the police said
Shelar’s crime doesn’t end here. The police said that he then tried to destroy evidence by washing the bloodstained clothes he wore and cleaning the knife.
“He left the clothes to dry in the room, wore one of Joshi’s bermuda pants and tshirt and escaped from the house at 7.30 am with Rs 10,000 and the victim’s mobile phone,” the police said.
Incidentally, in 2005 Shelar had also stolen Rs 10,000 and a mobile from Joshi’s house.
Joshi, 43, was found lying dead on the first floor bedroom of his hillside bungalow with his throat slashed on July 2.
Joshi had returned home around 3.30 am after closing “The Bar”, a very popular pub and watering hole in Baga for tourists as well as locals.
“After murdering Joshi, he went to Mapusa and caught a bus to Pune and from Pune went to Mumbai. Though we had sent our team to Pune we couldn’t trace him as he was hiding in Mumbai,” a police official said. The police team from Calangute was in Pune for 15 days.
According to the police, a month after Joshi’s murder, the accused, was picked up by the Pune police for burglary and he was sent to Yerawada jail, Pune for ten months.
“He befriended others with similar criminal backgrounds and started indulging in burglary along with them after his release from jail. Everytime after committing a burglary he would come to Goa with his group for holidays,” said a police official.
However, the third trip proved unlucky for Shelar as the Goa police had got information about his activities in Pune and were keeping a watch on him.
Shelar was caught on the very day he arrived in the state in a jeep along with his three friends.
“It is a gang of four members, between the age group of 19 and 25 and all of them are involved in criminal activities in Pune and Goa,” the Calangute police said.
June 26, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition
Joshi killer had burgled his house 4 times
Accused Claims His Intention Was Not To Murder, But To Demand Rs 50,000
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Somnath Shelar alias Raju Samanth, who has confessed to the gruesome and baffling murder of restaurateur Anuj Joshi at his house, barely a few yards from the Calangute police station, had burgled Joshi’s house four times before he
was arrested for the crime in October 2005.
However, a police complaint was lodged only once by the deceased.
Shelar was arrested on June 7, 2008 by the Calangute police for murdering Joshi on July 2, 2006. Police officials said that Shelar, after he was arrested in October for theft at Joshi’s house, was sent to eight months judicial custody.
“After his release, Shelar left for Pune and for 10 days was sleeping at the Pune railway station,” said an officer from the Calangute police.
Though Shelar is a resident of Memanwadi village in the Daund taluka of Pune, he has not visited his home since last eight years.
Police officials said that after 10 days, Shelar returned to Goa and few days later bought a kitchen knife from Mapusa.
“He claims that his intention was not to murder Joshi, but to demand Rs 50,000 from him by threatening with a knife,” said police.
They said that Shelar went to Joshi’s house on the night of July 1, but seeing the watchman, changed his plans and went to the woods near Joshi’s house to rest.
“He returned on the morning of July 2 at 6.30 am. On seeing Joshi sleeping, he tried to open the cupboard. When Joshi woke up and tried to confront Shelar, he hit him on the head thrice with an adjustable spanner, before he collapsed on the floor. Then he slit his throat with the kitchen knife,” the police said
Shelar’s crime doesn’t end here. The police said that he then tried to destroy evidence by washing the bloodstained clothes he wore and cleaning the knife.
“He left the clothes to dry in the room, wore one of Joshi’s bermuda pants and tshirt and escaped from the house at 7.30 am with Rs 10,000 and the victim’s mobile phone,” the police said.
Incidentally, in 2005 Shelar had also stolen Rs 10,000 and a mobile from Joshi’s house.
Joshi, 43, was found lying dead on the first floor bedroom of his hillside bungalow with his throat slashed on July 2.
Joshi had returned home around 3.30 am after closing “The Bar”, a very popular pub and watering hole in Baga for tourists as well as locals.
“After murdering Joshi, he went to Mapusa and caught a bus to Pune and from Pune went to Mumbai. Though we had sent our team to Pune we couldn’t trace him as he was hiding in Mumbai,” a police official said. The police team from Calangute was in Pune for 15 days.
According to the police, a month after Joshi’s murder, the accused, was picked up by the Pune police for burglary and he was sent to Yerawada jail, Pune for ten months.
“He befriended others with similar criminal backgrounds and started indulging in burglary along with them after his release from jail. Everytime after committing a burglary he would come to Goa with his group for holidays,” said a police official.
However, the third trip proved unlucky for Shelar as the Goa police had got information about his activities in Pune and were keeping a watch on him.
Shelar was caught on the very day he arrived in the state in a jeep along with his three friends.
“It is a gang of four members, between the age group of 19 and 25 and all of them are involved in criminal activities in Pune and Goa,” the Calangute police said.
June 26, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition
‘Good governance requires consistency’
‘Good governance requires consistency’
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Upset with the arbitrary behaviour of the state government regarding the SEZ issue, Cipla officials said that the move to scrap the notified SEZs in the state would have an adverse impact on the investment climate in Goa.
“We believe that good governance requires consistency in policy and that once you declare a policy and people have acted on that, it is wrong to reverse it and cause difficulties and losses to investors,” said Amar Lulla chief executive officer of Cipla Ltd., Mumbai.
Reacting to the government’s decision to withdraw the allotment of land and their submission to the high court of Bombay at Goa that the government has lifted the stop work order issued to Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd, which was setting up a SEZ in Keri, Ponda, Lulla said, “We will have to take steps as are legally advised. This can’t be the end of the road for us, as we have already invested close to Rs 200 crore in the project.”
He said that they had invested in Goa pursuant to the government policy inviting development of SEZs. “The whole purpose was to set up a dedicated SEZ for pharma units. This would have brought substantial investment and employment benefits to Goa.
Further, the units were to be non-polluting and putting no infrastructure burden on the State. The idea was to set up a world class pharma park in Goa,” he said.
Meditab, that was allotted land at Keri, Ponda for setting up a pharma park/SEZ had approached the court stating that the chief secretary of the state, J P Singh had threatened them. They were allotted 12,32,000 sq mts land by Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) on April 28, 2006 and a year later, on April 10, 2007, the development commissioner, ministry of commerce and industry, GoI notified the area as SEZ for sector-specific pharmaceutical industries.
In May 2007, Meditab allotted two plots of land to Cipla Ltd to set up its units for manufacturing aerosol. Trouble started from November 22, 2007, when people started objecting to the Meditab SEZ project.
Lulla said that many strongly believe that the SEZ movement is a politically motivated movement and is not one which is reflective of the views of the majority of the people of the state.
“The SEZ is clearly in the public interest and the opponents are misinformed and misguided. The Goa government is legally and constitutionally bound to implement the SEZ policy which was a validly notified policy and on the basis of which we have acted and incurred huge costs and liabilities. The attempt by the government to change its stand is unjustified and illegal,” he added.
June 26, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Upset with the arbitrary behaviour of the state government regarding the SEZ issue, Cipla officials said that the move to scrap the notified SEZs in the state would have an adverse impact on the investment climate in Goa.
“We believe that good governance requires consistency in policy and that once you declare a policy and people have acted on that, it is wrong to reverse it and cause difficulties and losses to investors,” said Amar Lulla chief executive officer of Cipla Ltd., Mumbai.
Reacting to the government’s decision to withdraw the allotment of land and their submission to the high court of Bombay at Goa that the government has lifted the stop work order issued to Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd, which was setting up a SEZ in Keri, Ponda, Lulla said, “We will have to take steps as are legally advised. This can’t be the end of the road for us, as we have already invested close to Rs 200 crore in the project.”
He said that they had invested in Goa pursuant to the government policy inviting development of SEZs. “The whole purpose was to set up a dedicated SEZ for pharma units. This would have brought substantial investment and employment benefits to Goa.
Further, the units were to be non-polluting and putting no infrastructure burden on the State. The idea was to set up a world class pharma park in Goa,” he said.
Meditab, that was allotted land at Keri, Ponda for setting up a pharma park/SEZ had approached the court stating that the chief secretary of the state, J P Singh had threatened them. They were allotted 12,32,000 sq mts land by Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) on April 28, 2006 and a year later, on April 10, 2007, the development commissioner, ministry of commerce and industry, GoI notified the area as SEZ for sector-specific pharmaceutical industries.
In May 2007, Meditab allotted two plots of land to Cipla Ltd to set up its units for manufacturing aerosol. Trouble started from November 22, 2007, when people started objecting to the Meditab SEZ project.
Lulla said that many strongly believe that the SEZ movement is a politically motivated movement and is not one which is reflective of the views of the majority of the people of the state.
“The SEZ is clearly in the public interest and the opponents are misinformed and misguided. The Goa government is legally and constitutionally bound to implement the SEZ policy which was a validly notified policy and on the basis of which we have acted and incurred huge costs and liabilities. The attempt by the government to change its stand is unjustified and illegal,” he added.
June 26, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition
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