Rajesh Ghoge, a resident of Sinnar, Nashik, didn't know what an obesity support group was until he inadvertently landed up at one while paying a visit to Hiranandani Powai Hospital to meet Dr Jayashree Todkar, Asia's first woman laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon. "It was reassuring to see many like me. Up until then, I was so used to being the only fat person in a group," he says. There, he met some who were battling obesity, while others who have been there and are now on the road to recovery. "I come from a family of farmers, so, physical labour is routine. But no amount of gruelling farming could bring my weight down," he says.

The jolly 41-year-old who once weighed 150 kg, has managed to bring it down to 120 kg. But then he hit a plateau. Till date, Ghoge has tried yoga, cycling, dieting and even attended Baba Ramdev's weight loss camp. "I knocked off 10 kg there because I survived on fresh fruits and water. My family was thrilled to see that I'd lost some weight. Once home, I gained it all back," he says.