On average, seven to nine hours of sleep is optimal for a healthier lifestyle. However, in India, the average person does not achieve this amount of rest: according to research presented at a recent conference, the average Indian sleeps for just 6.55 hours a night. This puts India near the bottom of world rankings of […]
lifestyle
An obesity crisis in corporate India?
The majority of India’s corporate executives are experiencing obesity, a recent report suggests. The Corporate India Fitness Report 2019 has found that six out of ten executives in India are overweight. Dr Sandeep Budhiraja notes “long working hours, irregular meals, intake of junk food, and lowered physical activity have made…employees unhealthy and prone to diseases […]
Vardhan promotes fitness at WHO meeting
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan took the opportunity of a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting to lead by example concerning fitness. The session of WHO Southeast Asia Region (WHO-SEARO) nations saw them make a commitment to collaborate in tackling emerging diseases and other public health challenges such as child health, maternal mortality, the respective […]
Fit India movement launched by Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Fit India’ movement yesterday in a bid to improve the country’s health and wellbeing. “Fitness has always been an integral part of our culture. But there is indifference towards fitness issues now,” he said at the event. “With technology, physical activity has reduced. We walk less now and the […]
World Bicycle Day: The health benefits of cycling
Dr Harsh Vardhan marked the beginning of his second stint as Union Health Minister by cycling to work on the occasion of World Bicycle Day, welcoming the benefits of cycling for health and the environment. In a tweet, the Minister cited cycling as his favourite sport and said the activity is a “simple, affordable, reliable, […]
World Hypertension Day: Avoid high blood pressure, know your numbers
Hypertension is a silent disease. It affects millions of Indians and responsible for 10.8 percent of deaths in the nation. This year, World Hypertension Day is being observed with the theme “Know Your Numbers”, highlighting the importance of screening for high blood pressure and ensuring it is kept under control. The occasion is observed annually […]
Why your eating habits matter for your health
In 2017, one in every five deaths globally was due to poor eating habits according to a recent report published in The Lancet. “This study affirms that poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world,” author Dr Christopher Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation […]
Why your desk job is a risk to your health
A new study has established a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the kind of sector of work among urban Indians. The research, published in the journal Economics and Human Biology, suggests a positive correlation between a high BMI – an indicator of obesity – and labour market activity. Put simply, the study could […]
Guess how many years of your life are taken away by pollution
Most Indian cities have become unliveable thanks to catastrophically high levels of air pollution across the country. While the toll this takes on public health is broadly understood, research has hitherto been lacking on the link between air pollution and shorter lifespans. A new study by researchers at the University of Texas has given a […]
Obesity epidemic looms large over India
The obesity epidemic is accepted far and wide as laying the groundwork for a major global health crisis in the near future. Obesity tends to be identified with wealthy countries, such as the United States. However, it also has a pronounced effect on the developing world too, where 115 million people suffer from obesity-related health […]