AIIMS Director Dr Nikhil Tandon today said that the best way to tackle obesity is to prevent weight gain in the first place. Inaugurating the AIIMS Obesity Summit 2026 in New Delhi today, Dr Tandon said that once a person becomes obese, losing weight is extremely difficult, while sustaining weight loss is even more challenging. He stressed the need for preventive measures from an early age.
Dr Tandon said obesity is influenced not only by biological factors but also by behavioural, environmental and cultural factors. He said interventions for prevention cannot be delayed until adulthood, as eating and lifestyle patterns begin to develop early in life.
Dr Tandon also highlighted the specific vulnerability of South Asians, saying they can develop metabolic complications, including diabetes, at comparatively lower BMI levels due to the central accumulation of fat. He said obesity should not be assessed merely through numerical cut-offs, as individual health outcomes also need to be considered.
