When it comes to losing weight and maintaining good health, Dr Dev Ramoutar and the Nirvahna Weight Management Clinic of Chaguanas have been at the forefront for the last 17 years. Ramoutar and his team were commended for their successes at the clinic's 17th Annual Awards Ceremony at the Ballroom of the Crown Plaza Hotel in Port-of-Spain last month. Dr Frank Ramlakhansingh, in his welcome address at the ceremony, said the Ministry of Health had spent $500 million in obesity related diseases last year in T&T, and praised the Nirvahna team for their commitment to encourage good health among citizens.
Ramlakhansingh noted there was an increase in the consumption of energy rich foods which caused increasing problems the world over, especially alarming in the case of children and the anticipated epidemics in diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. He said, too, that obesity had also led to an increase in certain types of cancers. Ramlakhansingh noted that obesity affected the quantity of years lived as well as the quality of life one lived. It also leads to social problems like job discrimination. He quoted figures to show that last year the USA spent $480 billion on obesity related diseases, while T&T spent $500 million for the same period.
He said that although Government has only in the last year or so recognised obesity and its danger, Ramoutar and his Nirvahna Clinic have been proactive with weight loss solutions for years. Dr Desmond Ali, in his closing remarks, spoke about the increasing global awareness of the problems of obesity, stating that WHO figures showed that in 2008, 63 per cent of deaths globally came from non communicable diseases. The problem has been compounded by the changing lifestyle with less physical activity and the intake of too much salt and sugar. Nirvahna has counteracted the problem by recommending more fibre and vegetables and less meat.
Ali congratulated the participants but advised them that whereas weight loss was a short term exercise, the maintaining of their new healthy weight should be pursued for a lifetime. He also advocated the need for government policy to assist weight loss and that such loss should be for health primarily, and not only to enhance physical appearance. Ali commended the participants for their sacrifices toward a healthier lifestyle. For those who adhered to the principles of healthy living by shedding excess body weight, it was a signature day at Crown Plaza where Nirvahna hosted a gala ceremony.
Master of Ceremonies Shamoon Mohammed of Sangeet Radio welcomed the 300 guests and especially the awardees-Bissoon Lutchman, Jacqueline Samuel, Kemraj Singh, Muressa Ali, Tulsidai Dubrie, Umilla Ramdial. Pundit Sirju's poignant prayer focused on the values of being healthy through choice not chance, by nurture not nature, and prayed for patience and abstention from too much food. Participants received awards from Rachael Telemaque, a frequent guest and presenter over the years at the ceremony. They were presented with their awards by former first lady Zalayhar Hassanali.
The big losers
Samuel recorded the greatest loss-134 pounds. When she came to Nirvahna she weighed 283 pounds and could hardly climb stairs. Today, everyone is happy for her especially her husband. Taxi driver Lutchman, for example, had come to the clinic weighing 411 pounds but was able to take off 121 pounds and has continued to bring his weight down. One man said he had joined the clinic to lose weight and to save the money he would have had to spend to do open heart surgery. Another participant from Jamaica had lost 79 pounds and had maintained her weight for 21 years.
Before losing the 41 pounds he felt like a bag of flour, one man said. Another participant described his photo before the weight loss as that of a jumbie to which he never wanted to return. A maxi taxi driver who lost 98 pounds said it led to him finding his bride. Their testimonials showed that the participants in the Nirvahna Weight Management Clinic realised they had so much to lose in weight and yet so much to gain otherwise that they were well motivated by the advice given to them by Dr Ramoutar.