RSHS digestive specialist Reno Rudiman said the surgery was the last resort after weight loss exercises and diets had failed to decrease her weight, rendering her unable to perform her daily activities.

“The surgery went smoothly and the [patient’s] condition was stable after the procedure. The stomach was surgically reduced to decrease its capacity so that food consumption would be greatly decreased,” said Reno, who was among the 11 doctors from RSHS taking care of Sunarti.

Taking around 2 hours and 15 minutes, the surgery made her stomach smaller by two-thirds its original size while removing the gland responsible for sending hunger signals to the brain, according to Reno.

Although the surgery has often been performed in countries such as Singapore and South Korea, Reno said patients with a height-to-weight ratio over 40 were the only ones eligible for it. Sunarti had a body mass index of 60.

Reno expressed hope that the surgery would help Sunarti lose weight to the ideal 65 kg to match her 155-centimeter height in two years. Previously, her daily food intake was 3,400 calories, considerably more than the 1,200 calories she consumed per day in the hospital.

“[Her weight will be] stable if she maintains her new healthy eating habits, avoiding sweets and carbonated drinks. The stomach will only adapt and expand again after two years so that her weight would be consistent,” Reno said.

A 2018 ministerial report revealed a stern outlook on the prevalence of obesity, which stood at 21.8 percent in 2018, up from 14.8 percent in 2013.

The report also mentioned South Sulawesi, Jakarta and East Kalimantan as the three regions with the most obesity cases for patients over 18 years old.

Another recent report also indicated that one in three adults in Indonesia experienced weight issues, which is around 35.4 percent of around 260 million people in the country.

Before being admitted to RSHS, Sunarti had moved from her local hospital in Karawang, West Java, after weighing 138 kg for the last three years and taking pain killers.

Previously, 11-year-old Arya Permana from Karawang also lost weight from 192 kg to 83 kg after undergoing similar surgery and having consistent healthy eating habits.

In Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Titi Wati, who weighs around 350 kg has asked for assistance from the local government to help tackle her obesity.

The 37-year-old, who is bound to her bed in her rented house, said her weight had increased dramatically in the last seven years. Wati, who is considered the heaviest woman in the province, has difficulty in moving and spends most of the time in bed.

Wati said she had tried many methods to lose weight, including by consuming herbal weight loss drinks, which she said was effective because she had lost weight for a period of time.

She asked for the government’s help because she could no longer afford the herbal weight loss drinks. (mai)

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