Fight With Fat: Battling India’s Obesity Crisis by Dr. Kamal Mahawar

Book Summary –  

Fight with Fat is a compelling, scientifically grounded yet highly accessible self-help book designed to shake readers out of complacency about India’s growing obesity epidemic. Dr. Mahawar highlights the stark reality: despite widespread undernourishment, India is the third most obese nation in absolute terms—even as obesity spans across middle- and lower-income groups.

He debunks myths—like obesity being a lifestyle problem affecting only the affluent or that quick-fix diets and pills are sustainable—and instead walks readers through the underlying biology of weight gain and effective prevention strategies. The book emphasizes calorie awareness, the difference between "good carbs" (e.g., roti, vegetables, fruits) and "bad carbs" (e.g., sugary drinks, sweets), and the significance of satiety, hunger control, and the costs of yo-yo dieting.Structured for busy readers, each chapter ends with concise takeaway points, making it easy to digest and implement practical advice.Beyond individual habits, Mahawar weaves in cultural critiques—addressing the normalization of high-calorie snacks like chai with biscuits, social acceptance of obesity, lax food labelling, and governmental inaction. He calls for public health measures like fast-food regulation, better school-based fitness initiatives, and broader recognition of obesity as a serious disease.

Reviewers describe the book as jargon-free, witty, socially aware, and deeply informative—effectively balancing humor with urgent health messaging to awaken readers to the gravity of the crisis.

About the Author – 

Dr. Kamal Mahawar is a UK-based consultant general and bariatric surgeon at Sunderland Royal Hospital, and a visiting professor at the University of Sunderland. He completed his MBBS as the top student at Calcutta Medical College, MS in General Surgery at PGIMER, Chandigarh, and later fellowships in the UK.

With over two decades of experience treating obesity (and performing surgeries like sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass), he offers a rare blend of frontline surgical expertise and a strong moral compass—evident in both this book and his earlier work, The Ethical Doctor.

Deeply connected to his Indian roots, Dr. Mahawar writes with a blend of sharp insight, cultural critique, and medical clarity—unafraid to challenge societal norms, superstition, and policy inertia. His approach is both scientifically sound and thoroughly humane.

In a nutshell, Fight with Fat is a smart, socially relevant call to action—mixing practical health advice, myth-busting, cultural criticism, and policy recommendations in a readable, chapter-wise guide. Dr. Mahawar brings both credibility and conscience to the table, urging readers—and the nation—to take the obesity crisis seriously.