Sometimes words can sting. And today, a lot of us take things posted on our social media 'walls' as seriously as anything being told to us in person. And hence, it'd be safe to say that a tweet can literally change your life. Would you agree? Well, let us convince you. Columnist and author, Shobhaa De had fat-shamed a police inspector on the social media platform and Inspector Daulatram Jogawat from Madhya Pradesh Police didn't take it lying down. Acting upon it as soon as possible, the inspector has now apparently undergone a bariatric surgery in Mumbai last year.
Jogawat is sixty-five kilos lighter post weighing 180-kg before he was operated on for free by well-known bariatric surgeon, Dr Muffazal Lakdawala at Saifee Hospital in Mumbai. The inspector, who came under the limelight post Shobhaa De's tweet said that not only was he no longer bitter at De’s jibe but that he also wanted to personally thank her with his family in town. While De told a leading news daily that she would be more than pleased to meet Jogawat, the latter said he’ll wait till he loses another 30 kgs before presenting himself in front of De whom he refers to as his “elder sister".
Jogawat said he had become a “different person” after the weight loss operation. “You can spot the confidence on my face,” Jogawat, who now weighs 115 kg, said. “I genuinely believe the weight loss surgery was possible only after Shobhaaji tweeted my photo. The doctors did not charge anything for the surgery,” he said. Jogawat’s unintentional publicity came about when De posted his picture on Twitter on 21st February, a day before the BMC elections, with a caption that read, “Heavy police bandobast in Mumbai today”.
While De was slammed by scores of people for fat-shaming Jogawat, the Mumbai Police pointed out that Jogawat was not even a part of their force. Today, De is happy for Jogawat. “I’m glad that my tweet not only helped him lose weight, he has also been rid of several diseases, some of which could be life-threatening. I thank Dr Lakdawala for acknowledging the tweet and treating Jogawat free of cost,” she told the leading daily. Regarding being trolled for fat-shaming the cop, De said Jogawat himself had never complained and that he had always maintained that the tweet helped him get the right treatment. “I’d love to meet Mr Jogawat who is no longer on ‘heavy bandobast’,” De said.
Here's what her post looked like:
Dr Lakdawala, who operated on Jogawat credited Jogawat’s “mental toughness and discipline” for the weight loss, and said he could easily lose another 30 kgs. “He is strictly monitoring his diet, which is essential post bariatric surgery as there are restrictions regarding food intake at least for a year. He had come in with fluctuating blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, hypertension, sleep apnea, lymphedema, joints pain… basically, the problems caused due to excessive weight. Now all his reports are normal,” the doctor said. Jogawat is posted in the police control room in the town of Neemuch. He now hopes for a posting in Bhopal or Indore. “I’ll retire next year but before that, I want a good posting. I never got one all these years because my seniors in the force were worried that my health problems will come in the way of discharging duty. Also, such an overweight cop would have embarrassed the VIPs,” he said.
Talking about when he started putting on weight, he said, “First came the slight paunch, which kept growing,” he said. “Within a matter of months, my weight had jumped from 69 kg to 105 kg. With mobility gone, I kept ballooning,” he said. On his newfound leaner avatar, he said, “I can walk without losing breath. That’s a wonderful feeling,” he said. He also has an advice for his colleagues and obese people at large. “Don’t mock an overweight person. Obesity is a disease, and it needs to be treated. Not many can afford weight loss surgery, and the police departments across the country should help cops in need of such surgeries," he said.
Well, now this was interesting, wasn't it?
