There is no shortcut to good health, then why are people choosing the path of medicines?:

News Topical, Digital Desk : Nowadays people are preferring shortcuts to lose weight. You will find many such influencers on social media, who take advantage of this desire of people and share quick tips to lose weight. Many people also choose the path of unnecessary medicines or surgery to lose weight. But let us tell you that a right lifestyle and diet are necessary for good health, only then obesity and other health problems will be eradicated from the root.

These days, weight loss drugs, injections (such as Ozempic and Monjaro), and even surgical interventions are growing in popularity. How do you view this trend, especially when compared to traditional diet and lifestyle changes?

I feel that any decision, whether it be medication, injections or surgery, is extremely personal. For some people, particularly those with underlying medical or metabolic conditions or where weight is impacting quality of life, these interventions can be necessary and even lifesaving. But I disagree with the growing trend of treating them as the end-all solution for everyone. They may prevent obesity but do not address its underlying causes. They do not teach you how to eat better, sleep better, exercise regularly or manage emotional triggers. Lasting weight management requires a disciplined but compassionate relationship with your body. Medications may change the number on a weighing machine, but overall health comes from conscious lifestyle changes. Without this foundation even the best treatments fail.

What are the potential mind-body consequences of medical-surgical interventions for obesity reduction that people are not fully aware of?

The physical side effects are already widely documented: nausea, constipation, thyroid issues, gall bladder problems, and in some cases impaired bowel function. But there's also a psychological cost that we don't often talk about. When you lose weight without effort or awareness, the brain doesn't develop the discipline, mindset, or emotional control needed to keep it off. The weight may be lost, but the habits remain. Meaning that as soon as you stop taking the medication or face stress, you're in worse trouble than before. Losing weight without lifestyle changes is like pumping water out of a sinking boat without fixing the hole.

You promote a holistic approach to health that includes balanced nutrition, adequate exercise, good sleep and emotional well-being. How important are all of these in weight management?

You can lose weight with medication, but to keep it off, the body needs good digestion, deep sleep, efficient physical activity and emotional stability. In my view, there are six pillars of holistic health – deep cellular nutrition, adequate movement, quality sleep, emotional health, spiritual connection and breath. These are not options, but essentials. They regulate hormones, balance the gut, restore insulin sensitivity and keep inflammation low. After all, these are what cause excess body fat.

The notion that healthy food is tasteless is very common. Many people believe that taste is all about adding more fat, sugar and salt...

We have grown up with a false notion of taste. We have started to believe that food must be drenched in sugar, salt or spices to be satisfying. But the truth is that it is mostly designed that way. The trinity of sugar, salt and fat has been engineered to overwhelm our taste buds and processed food manufacturing companies spend millions to get this formula right. When you constantly eat junk food, it takes over your taste buds. When home-cooked food starts to taste bland, it is not because it is actually bland, but because you are trapped in the intoxicating clutches of some other taste!