The Hindu Business Line : Heart Express on kids track

A special information campaign, courtesy the Bangalore-based Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute, will `chug' across 37 spots in Karnataka telling children to maintain their hearts healthy and keep lifestyle diseases at bay.

Wockhardt, in a tie-up with Jawahar Bal Bhavan, began spreading the H-word today with the half-a-dozen Bal Bhavans in the city.

In the year-long campaign, called `Heart Express', Wockhardt plans to cover a million children and parents in the State and create awareness through leaflets and education material about preventing heart diseases well ahead in life.

"Indians have a higher disposition of heart disease and it is therefore critical that we promote balanced nutritious diet and regular exercise among our children," said Mr Vishal Bali, VP (Operations), Wockhardt Hospitals, at the launch of Heart Express on Saturday.

Heart Express hopes to drive home a grim fact: nearly 22 million children across the world, aged less than five years are overweight, according to recent studies; and youngsters are accumulating several risk factors that contribute to heart disease. Children exposed early to risk factors are most likely to suffer from heart disease in future. Apart from wrong food, lack of exercise and overweight, children face other challenges. "Children who are regularly exposed to passive smoking by adults at home end up suffering from many of the diseases of an active smoker and have a 25 per cent increased risk of developing heart disease. So, the message to parents is, quit smoking today, at least for your child's heart," said Dr Jayaranganath, Paediatric Cardiologist at Wockhardt.

One per cent of live births result in cardiovascular malformations, said Dr Vivek Jawali, Chief Cardiovascular Surgeon at the hospital.

According to Wockhardt, research shows a rise in the number of overweight and obese children in India and in the world. This is primarily due to decreasing physical activity and, in turn, burning of calories consumed.

Today's children watch television at the cost of watching their weight. Mr Bali said, "We hope to educate both children and their parents about lifelong healthy eating habits and physical activity thereby ensuring a generation with healthier hearts."

As another face of the drive, Freedom from heart disease - a float carrying children - will travel through the city for a week from Sunday. The float carrying messages will be flagged off at Bal Bhavan in Cubbon Park by the Canadian High Commissioner, Ms Lucie Edwards.

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