New Delhi: The brain, not just the food habits, is the real cause of obesity, say the New Delhi doctors. Nearly 30 percent of the people suffer from obesity in India.

Dr. Surendra Kumar, head, department of endocrinology and metabolism at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said, “We are not giving a clean chit to food and lifestyle habits for this disease, but metabolic activities in the brain is a major cause of this ailment. Certain activities in the brain affect our genes and food intake. Due to this development, over 70 percent of intake calories get deposited in our body leading to problems like obesity and diabetes.”

Dr. Kumar told that when a person becomes obese, it continues for at least the three next generations.

“If a person acquires obesity by himself without any contribution from his forefathers, then his next three generations will suffer from the ailment,” he said.

Organized by the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the first “2-day Sir Ganga Ram SAARC Diabetes Conference on Obesity and Diabetes” is starting this Saturday. Health experts from South Asian countries will meet in Delhi at this conference to debate the issue.

S.P. Bayotra, a senior doctor of the hospital organizing the international conference, said, “New medical procedures like surgery, stem cell therapy, gene therapy, insulin inhaler and other upcoming cheap but efficient drugs to tackle obesity and diabetes problems will be discussed at the conference.”

According to Dr. Kumar, 57 percent of obese people suffer from Type-2 diabetes, 30 percent - gallbladder disease, 14 percent -osteoarthritis, 17 percent – hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Obese people also suffer from problems like uterine and breast cancer.

Stem cell therapy in diabetes is making good progress, and the surgery as a therapy for diabetes is an exciting new possibility for management of diabetes.

Both Kumar and Bayotra will be leading the discussion at the SAARC diabetes conference.

The Chairman of the Board of Management of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, B. K. Rao, said, “The purpose of the conference is to provide a forum to exchange scientific knowledge and personal experiences about the disease.”