President of the National Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr Ravi Wankhedkar along with Laparo Obeso Centre (LOC) announced and launched The Obesity Prevention and Control Task Force to help the country in reducing the burden of Obesity and Diabetes on the health index and economy of the country.

BEST Metasurg 2018, the first-ever Bariatric Endoscopy Surgery Trends (B.E.S.T), an international Live Surgery conference, was held in Pune in June. It was conducted by Laparo Obeso Centre (LOC) - one of the top Bariatric Centres in India. The conference was endorsed by both national and international obesity and surgery societies, namely IFSO, IEF, OSSI, PSS and IAGES. It was attended by surgeons from 16 different countries and over 700 surgeons from all over India.

The two-day conference showcased 16 Live Surgeries which ranged from Basic Bariatric surgeries like Sleeve Gastrectomy, Gastric Bypass to more complex redo bariatric procedures like Metabolic Duodenal Switch, Sleeving the Bypass, Gastric Bypass with Haitus Hernia Repair, etc. The conference was an academic feast to the surgeons attending it, as the most reputable and experienced world specialists in the field of bariatric and metabolic surgeries came together with the aim to improve treatment options for obesity and diabetes. Virtual Live redo surgeries were also demonstrated by world renowned surgeons from Chile and Brazil.

"I was 200 plus kilos when I was first operated in 2008. I came down to 120 and slowly over a period regained some weight. I got my re-surgery done at BEST and I think that was one of the best decisions, as I have lost 10 kilos and I was back to my routine within 2 days," said one of the patients operated at the conference.

The aim of the conference was Fight-Treat-Prevent Obesity. It was for the first time; President of the National Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, announced and launched The Obesity Prevention and Control Task Force at the hands of Honorable Union Minister for Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) Shri Prakash Javadekar. The Obesity Prevention and Control Task Force was in tandem with the Prime Minister's Fit India initiative. Dr. Shashank Shah was elected as the Chairman of this task force.

The initiative will also help the country in reducing the burden of Obesity and Diabetes on the health index and economy of the country.
The conference also brought together department heads of various medical colleges and their students to update their knowledge, to train them and to motivate them to start offering bariatric surgery, especially when India is known as the world capital of diabetes and is slowly moving towards obesity as well. With up-gradation of knowledge the conference also aimed at creating awareness in Government Hospitals about the need to improve the infrastructure and to have advanced laparoscopic surgeries for the poor, which being the need of the hour. Thus the conference ended on a note that was not just educational but also had a social touch to it.