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A new chapter in your health journey

Discover HepaCare 360° — your guide to the weight loss journey. From understanding your BMI to nutrition, movement and day-to-day treatment support, we're with you at every step.

Check your BMI Read the guides
≥ 25BMI cut-off for obesity in Indians
150–300Minutes of activity per week
4Pillars: diet, movement, mind, medicine
Understanding obesity

More than a number — and not your fault

The World Health Organization defines obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. It is a chronic medical condition shaped by biology, hormones, environment and daily life — not a lack of willpower.

Biology and hormones

Genes shape body size and hunger levels. Hormonal signals decide how much energy you burn and when you feel full.

Mind and lifestyle

Stress-driven eating and poor sleep quality change appetite and cravings long before they change the scale.

Medicines and environment

Some prescriptions alter metabolism or increase appetite. Where you live decides how easily you reach healthy food.

The biological tug-of-war

Losing weight is difficult, but maintaining that loss is the real challenge. When you shed weight, the body shifts into a protective survival mode:

  • Metabolic slowdown — the body becomes more efficient and burns fewer calories to save energy.
  • Hunger signals — hormones shift so you feel hungrier and less satisfied after eating.
  • The starvation defence — the brain is wired to resist weight loss, a relic of times when food was scarce.

The bottom line

Obesity is not a sign of laziness or lack of self-discipline. It is a chronic medical condition, and it is not the individual's fault.

Why Indian cut-offs are lower

Global WHO thresholds significantly underestimate risk in Indian populations. Indian guidelines lower the benchmarks to account for higher fat accumulation at lower BMI levels.

CategoryWHO cut-off (global)Indian cut-off
Normal weight18.5–24.9 kg/m²18.5–22.9 kg/m²
Overweight25.0–29.9 kg/m²23.0–24.9 kg/m²
Obesity≥ 30 kg/m²≥ 25 kg/m²
Obesity grade 130.0–34.9 kg/m²25.0–29.9 kg/m²
Obesity grade 235.0–39.9 kg/m²30.0–34.9 kg/m²
Obesity grade 3≥ 40.0 kg/m²≥ 35.0 kg/m²
BMI Calculator

Find your BMI, read it the Indian way

Enter your height and weight. We show your result against both the WHO global scale and the Indian cut-offs so you can discuss the right number with your doctor.

BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. It does not measure body composition, and results should always be interpreted by your doctor alongside waist, blood pressure and blood tests.

Your result
26.4kg/m²
Obesity grade 1 (Indian cut-off)
152025303540+
Indian classificationObesity grade 1
WHO classificationOverweight

Enter your details to see guidance. Whatever the number, the next step is a conversation with your doctor — not a crash diet.

Waist matters too

Indian guidelines flag abdominal obesity at a waist above 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women, even when BMI looks acceptable.

The "thin-fat" pattern

Indians can carry a higher fat percentage at a lower BMI, with less lean muscle. That is why strength work matters as much as walking.

When medication is considered

Doctors typically consider weight-loss medication at a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 and above with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. This decision is your doctor's alone.

Nutrition

Re-engineer the plate you already eat

There is no perfect diet. A "one size fits all" Western plan usually fails in India because of cultural, religious and regional preferences. The goal is a sustainable way of eating that respects your kitchen while raising nutrient density.

40–50%Target carbs

The thali concept

Indian diets are diverse, but often share one pattern: a high share of refined carbohydrates and a deficit of good-quality protein. Re-engineering the traditional plate works better than importing foreign foods — shifting from a 70–80% carbohydrate plate to a 40–50% one, with more fibre and protein.

  • Carbohydrates · 50–60% of calories

    Choose slow carbs: whole grains, millets, lentils and beans over white rice, maida and sugary cereals.

  • Protein · 10–15% of calories

    Pulses paired with cereals, curd, paneer, soya, eggs, fish or lean meat at every main meal.

  • Fats · 20–30% of calories

    Keep cooking oil measured. Limit saturated and trans fats, fried snacks and rich sweets.

Daily calorie reference

General recommended intake is about 2,400–2,800 kcal a day for men and 2,100–2,200 kcal for women. Your own target depends on your age, activity, medical conditions and weight goal — ask your dietician to set it rather than guessing.

Practical tools that work

Keep a food journal or use an app to spot patterns and triggers rather than only counting calories. Eat vegetables first, then protein, and save carbohydrates for the end of the meal — this food sequencing can meaningfully lower post-meal blood sugar.

A day of balanced meals

8–10 am

Breakfast

≈ 570 kcal

Soaked and boiled whole grains (90 g), boiled red or black beans, lobia or chickpea (35 g), green leafy vegetables (50 g), other vegetables (50 g), nuts (20 g).

1–2 pm

Lunch

≈ 900 kcal

Whole-grain cereals (100 g), pulses (30 g) or meat, vegetables (150 g), green leafy vegetables (50 g), nuts or oil seeds (20 g) in curries, cooking oil (15 g), curd (150 ml) or equivalent paneer, and 50 g fruit to finish.

5 pm

Evening beverage

≈ 35 kcal

Milk (50 ml), unsweetened. Skip sugary tea, packaged juices and fizzy drinks — liquid sugar is absorbed almost instantly.

7–8 pm

Dinner

≈ 590 kcal

Cereals (80 g), pulses (25 g), vegetables (100 g), oil (10 g), curd (100 ml), and 50 g fruit to end the meal.

Regional specifics

North

Reduce reliance on heavy fats such as ghee and butter, and on refined wheat (maida).

South

Address the glycaemic load of white rice — substitute brown rice, millets such as ragi and jowar, or increase pulse portions.

West & East

Manage oil in fried snacks and sugar in regional sweets, which often carry a whole day's added sugar in one serving.

Tailored nutrition for special groups

GroupPrimary nutritional focusClinical consideration
AdolescentsBalanced growth; avoiding restrictive "fad" diets.Reduce sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods.
ElderlyHigher protein intake (1.2–1.5 g/kg).Prevent sarcopenic obesity — muscle loss alongside fat gain.
VegetariansComplementary proteins from cereal–pulse combinations.Watch for vitamin B12 and iron deficiency; include leucine-rich soya and paneer.
Chronic kidney diseaseControlled protein (0.6–0.8 g/kg in non-dialysis).Careful potassium and phosphorus management while keeping calorie density.

These figures are general clinical references. Your dietician will adapt them to your reports, medicines and household kitchen.

Exercise

Consistency beats intensity

Movement preserves muscle, improves insulin sensitivity and lifts mood — even on weeks when the scale refuses to move. Aim for 30–60 minutes of movement most days, and pick the activity you will actually keep doing.

Aerobic training

150–300min / week

Moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking or cycling. In extreme heat or without safe outdoor space, indoor aerobics or a yoga-based vinyasa flow works just as well.

Resistance training

2–3sessions / week

The most neglected part of obesity care in India. Strength work raises basal metabolic rate, improves insulin sensitivity in muscle, and builds the lean mass that counters the "thin-fat" pattern.

Flexibility and balance

Daily10–15 min

Traditional yoga improves flexibility and lowers cortisol, which is often a hidden driver of abdominal fat. Stretching also protects joints as activity levels rise.

The silent killer: sitting still

Even if you exercise for 30 minutes, the remaining 23.5 hours of sedentary behaviour can cancel out the metabolic gains — a real risk in India's IT and corporate sectors.

20 min sitting
8 min standing
2 move

The 20-8-2 rule: for every 30 minutes of sitting, sit for 20, stand for 8, and move or stretch for 2.

Small habits, large returns

  • The 10-minute post-meal walk — one of the most powerful habits for lowering post-meal blood sugar.
  • NEAT — pace during phone calls, take the stairs, use a standing desk where you can.
  • Digital nudges — set an hourly movement reminder on your watch or phone.
  • Three short walks — ten minutes, three times a day, works as well as one 30-minute session.
  • Health check first — clear new or intense exercise with your doctor, especially with heart, joint or eye complications.
Treatment support

When lifestyle alone isn't enough

Because obesity is a chronic disease, management often needs more than "eat less, move more." Medical treatment can be a powerful tool — but it is prescribed, monitored and adjusted by your doctor alone.

Doctor-led, always

Weight-management medicines are not cosmetic products or quick fixes. They change how your body processes hunger and energy, they carry side effects, and they are not safe for everyone. Never use them without a prescription and medical oversight, and never adjust a dose on your own.

What GLP-1 does in the body

Glucagon-like peptide-1 is a hormone made naturally in the gut after eating, which helps balance blood sugar. Modern GLP-1 treatments such as semaglutide mimic that process by:

  • Signalling the pancreas to release more insulin while food is being digested.
  • Preventing the liver from releasing unnecessary sugar into the bloodstream.
  • Slowing digestion so sugar enters the blood at a steadier pace.
  • Acting on the brain to reduce hunger and cravings, and to bring on fullness sooner.

Many people with type 2 diabetes now use a once-weekly GLP-1 injection as part of a physician-guided plan. Talk to your doctor to understand whether it fits your situation.

Injection technique that protects your skin

The injection goes under the skin, into fat — most often the abdomen (2–3 inches from the belly button), the front or top of the thigh (at least two inches from knee and hip), or the fleshy back of the upper arm.

  • Rotate sites every week to avoid hard lumps (lipodystrophy) and skin irritation.
  • Avoid problem areas — never inject into scarred, bruised or damaged skin.
  • Pinch and angle — pinch the skin gently and inject at 90 degrees so the medicine reaches the fat layer.
  • There is no "best" site — choose the most comfortable, fat-rich area for you.

Missed a dose? Follow the instructions your doctor or pharmacist gave you, and ask before doubling up or skipping ahead.

Managing digestive side effects

Most side effects are digestive — nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort, constipation and vomiting. They usually peak at the start of treatment or after a dose increase and settle with time. If any of them are severe or persistent despite these steps, contact your doctor as soon as possible.

What helps

  • Simple, low-fat meals such as crackers, plain toast or rice.
  • Hydrating options like clear broths, sipped slowly.
  • Crackers, apples, mint or ginger-based drinks about 30 minutes after the injection.
  • Staying upright after meals and getting fresh air.
  • Smaller, slower bites and cool, clear beverages.

What to avoid

  • Oily, fried or sugary items.
  • Strong cooking smells while food is being prepared.
  • Lying down soon after eating.
  • Drinking with meals if nausea is severe — keep drinks to 30–60 minutes before or after instead.

What helps

  • Generous hydration, in small and frequent sips.
  • More frequent meals in smaller amounts.
  • Rest and fresh air between meals.

When to call your doctor

If vomiting is repeated, stops you keeping fluids down, or comes with severe abdominal pain, contact your healthcare professional as soon as possible rather than waiting for the next appointment.

What helps

  • Generous hydration — water, lemon water or bicarbonate drinks.
  • Chicken broth, rice, carrots, ripe peeled fruit and baked fruit.
  • Pause high-fibre foods, restoring them gradually as things improve.

What to avoid

  • Sport and energy drinks.
  • Dairy products, laxatives, coffee, alcohol and soft drinks.
  • Very cold or very hot foods, and sweeteners ending in "-ol".

What helps

  • Enough fibre in the diet, increased gradually.
  • More physical activity through the day.
  • A healthy, balanced diet with regular meal timings.
  • Generous hydration with water and sugar-free liquids.

Keep a food diary

Note what you ate, when, and how you felt afterwards. Patterns show up quickly, and it gives your dietician something concrete to work with at the next visit.

At the table

  • Eat slowly and only when genuinely hungry.
  • Smaller portions, more often.
  • Stop when satiated, not when the plate is empty.

After eating

  • Don't lie down straight after a meal.
  • Don't be too active immediately after eating either.
  • No meals close to bedtime.

Small details

  • Skip the straw — it brings in extra air.
  • Eat without distractions and savour the food.
  • Favour boiled, oven-cooked or griddled dishes and water-rich foods.
Blog

Reading for the long middle of the journey

Short, practical pieces built from the HepaCare 360° patient booklet — for the weeks when motivation dips and the questions get specific.

Biology

Why the weight comes back — and what to do about it

Losing weight is hard. Keeping it off is harder, and the reason is physiological, not moral.

Read the article

When you lose weight, the body enters what researchers call biological resistance. Metabolism slows so you burn fewer calories at rest. Hunger hormones shift so you feel hungrier and less satisfied after eating. And the brain, wired from a time when food was scarce, treats the loss as a threat to defend against.

What this changes

It means regain is not evidence of failure. It also means the strategies that got the weight off — restriction alone — are rarely the strategies that keep it off. Protein intake, resistance training and consistent daily movement all help preserve the lean mass that keeps metabolic rate up.

Expect setbacks. Weight management is not a straight line, and progress includes learning from the weeks that don't go as planned.

Nutrition

Re-engineering the thali instead of abandoning it

You don't need to eat foreign food to eat well. You need to change the proportions on the plate you already use.

Read the article

Most Indian plates run 70–80% carbohydrate. Shifting that towards 40–50%, with the space filled by fibre and protein, does more for blood sugar and satiety than any imported diet plan.

Three swaps that carry most of the benefit

Replace part of the white rice or maida roti with millets, brown rice or extra pulses. Add a protein anchor to every main meal — dal with curd, paneer, soya, eggs or fish. Measure the cooking oil rather than pouring by eye.

Then change the order

Eat vegetables first, protein second, and carbohydrates last. This food sequencing can significantly lower the blood sugar rise after a meal, using exactly the same food.

Movement

The 23.5 hours nobody counts

A 30-minute workout can be undone by the rest of the day. Here is what to do at a desk.

Read the article

Sedentary behaviour is its own risk factor, separate from exercise. Someone who trains for half an hour and then sits for twelve can still lose most of the metabolic benefit — which makes this a particular problem in India's IT and corporate sectors.

The 20-8-2 rule

For every 30 minutes at a desk: 20 minutes sitting, 8 minutes standing, 2 minutes moving or stretching. It is small enough to survive a busy calendar.

NEAT adds up quietly

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis is everything you burn outside deliberate workouts — pacing during phone calls, taking the stairs, standing to read. Set an hourly movement reminder and let the watch do the nagging.

Diabetes

Slow carbs, fast carbs, and the fibre in between

Carbohydrates are fuel. The difference is how quickly they burn.

Read the article

Slow carbs — whole grains, brown rice, oats, quinoa, lentils and beans — behave like slow-burning logs, giving steady energy. Fast carbs such as white bread, sugary cereals and white pasta behave like dry leaves: a quick flare, then a crash.

Fibre is the quiet lever

Fibre slows how fast sugar reaches the bloodstream. Aim for at least 25–30 grams a day. A useful rule of thumb: if it is crunchy and grows in the ground, it is usually high in fibre.

Watch liquid sugar

The body absorbs liquid sugar almost instantly. Even 100% fruit juice spikes blood sugar because the fibre has been stripped out. Water, unsweetened tea and black coffee are the safe defaults.

Type 2 diabetes also raises cardiovascular risk substantially, and that risk stays elevated even when A1C is on target — so ask your doctor about heart health, not only sugar readings.

Ageing well

After 60, protein is not optional

Losing fat while losing muscle is not a win. Sarcopenic obesity is the trap to avoid.

Read the article

Older adults can gain fat and lose muscle at the same time — a combination that weakens strength, balance and metabolic health while the scale barely moves.

What the guidance says

Higher protein intake, in the range of 1.2–1.5 g per kg of body weight, is generally recommended for older adults, alongside resistance work two to three times a week. Vegetarians should pair cereals with pulses and include leucine-rich sources such as soya and paneer, while watching for vitamin B12 and iron deficiency.

If you have chronic kidney disease, protein targets are different and lower — this is a conversation for your treating doctor, not a general guideline.

Treatment

The first four weeks on GLP-1 therapy

Most digestive side effects peak early and then settle. Knowing that changes how you handle them.

Read the article

Nausea, abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhoea and occasional vomiting are the common effects, and they usually cluster around the start of treatment or a dose change.

The practical playbook

Keep meals simple and low in fat. Eat slowly, in smaller portions, and stop when satisfied. Stay upright afterwards. Skip strong smells, fried food and straws. If nausea is severe, keep drinks to 30–60 minutes before or after a meal rather than during it.

Where the line is

These steps are for mild, expected effects. If anything is severe or persistent despite following them, contact your healthcare professional promptly. Never change your own dose to manage a side effect.

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Explore the HepaCare 360° Patient Success Programme

Guided nutrition, movement plans, treatment reminders and a care team you can reach in your own language — alongside, never instead of, your doctor.

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Device usage videos

Step-by-step demonstrations of storage, preparation, injection technique and safe disposal — filmed with a nurse, in short chapters you can rewatch before your weekly dose.

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Chemist availability

Find pharmacies near you that stock your prescription and maintain the cold chain, so a refill never depends on luck or a long trip.

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This website is intended for general patient education and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never start, stop or adjust a prescription medicine on the basis of information found here. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or a qualified health provider with any questions about a medical condition. Content adapted from the HepaCare 360° patient booklet, WHO guidance and Indian obesity management guidelines.