Q: I am 48 years old married woman. I have a 15-year-old son. Upto my 45th year, I had no health problem. Suddenly I started losing my weight (from 56 kg to 51 kg). I often got shivering with slight fever and cough. The doctor diagnosed it as pleurisy. I had to be hospitalised and some fluid was removed from my back and was sent for further testing. The doctor said there is nothing to worry. I took treatment for 6 months. Once I started taking treatment, my weight went on increasing and now my weight is 62 kg. Especially around my tummy and hips, lot of fat accumulation is there. I take normal breakfast with coffee around 8.00 a.m., lunch around 1.00 p.m. and snacks around 7.00 p.m. I go for a walk everyday for half an hour. I tried yoga, but since my bones are weak, I was not able to do bending exercises. I also have frozen shoulder, so couldn't continue yoga. I take calcium tablets daily. How can I reduce my weight? I am very desperate for this. I work from morning 6.00 a.m. to night 11.00 p.m. I don't get time for any activities or exercises.

A:I feel that your weight is not related to pleurisy. That was a condition diagnosed at the right time and taken care of. Now your weight gain is due to your sedentary lifestyle. It seems your walk for 30 minutes is not enough and you need to walk through the day while you work, in other words, you need to be active. Drink milk, if you have been allowed, bones need to be strong, atleast 250 ml-fat free milk has to be consumed. Walk will also help you with making your bones strong. What snacks are you having? Please check on whether these include any high fat products? In fact foods high in sugar will also lead to fat accumulation if you do not utilise the energy.