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P.T. Jyothi Datta

With life-style diseases, particularly in the urban segment witnessing an upward trend, the WHO has chosen "physical activity" as its theme this year.

NEW DELHI, April 6

CUT-THROAT corporate executives working round the clock to drive their businesses to new frontiers may find it necessary to sit up and listen to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) word of caution, this World Health Day (April 7).

With life-style diseases, particularly in the urban segment witnessing an upward trend, the WHO has chosen "physical activity" as its theme this year. And the white-collared "highly driven'' executive, working round-the clock with non-negotiable deadlines and erratic eating schedules — "an accident waiting to happen'' — is one of the risk categories at whom WHO targets its advice.

Dr Srinath Reddy, Professor-Cardiology with the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences currently working with WHO, told Business Line that "the worst hit segment is the productive 30 to 65 age-group. Loss of life and productivity or premature death or prolonged disability to an individual results in no economic growth and subsequently an unstable market. When an individual has to spend Rs 3 lakh on a bypass surgery, he would not be interested buying the latest automobile model that is being rolled out.''

According to an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study, tobacco-related-diseases and cancers alone caused an economic burden of Rs 1,200 crore per annum, on the country. "If one were to take into account the total economic burden of lifestyle diseases on the country, the amount would easily increase several-fold,'' he said.

"Stress-prone lifestyles are disasters waiting to happen. Smoking, a habit that is seen to accompany stress, advances a heart attack by seven years. Simple physical activity brings down diabetes by 50 per cent, heart attack by 50 to 60 per cent, borderline hypertension by 240 per cent,'' he points out.

With diabetes expected to increase three-fold and life-style related diseases set to sky-rocket by 2020 — "the Indian urban population is in the grip of an epidemic. WHO's initiative is to reverse this trend and prevent the rural population from getting onto the bandwagon,'' he observes.

Not surprising then, that health is a platform that corporates are increasingly looking to exploit. Ask Dr Morepen, whose aggressive "Health in your hands'' campaign has caught the fancy of consumers or Colgate-Palmolive who is spearheading an oral health campaign.

Even the likes of Tropicana from the Pepsi-stable or calcium-fortified Maaza from the Coca-Cola stable have understood that "health sells like nothing else'', points out an industry watcher.

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