India, Dec. 16 -- For years, obesity was viewed as a lifestyle problem rather than a medical condition. That thinking has now shifted, with the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognising obesity as a chronic disease that quietly damages multiple organs and raises the risk of serious complications. One of its most underestimated threats is visceral fat - the hidden fat stored deep inside the abdomen around vital organs like the liver, pancreas and intestines - which is far more dangerous than the fat around your waist that you can see or pinch.

Dr Pankaj Sharma, director of Bariatric, Robotic, and Laparoscopic Surgery at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, and founder of Shalya Clinic, Rohini, New Delhi, spoke to HT Lifestyle about ...