City to walk for better health on Sunday
City residents will take to the streets on Sunday, but not to protest. Rather to encourage an active lifestyle among people in the region. The Indian Public Health Organisation and the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research will organise a “walklathon” to observe World Health Day on Sunday.
City residents will take to the streets on Sunday, but not to protest. Rather to encourage an active lifestyle among people in the region.
The Indian Public Health Organisation and the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research will organise a “walklathon” to observe World Health Day on Sunday. The walkathon will start from PGIMER's Kairon Block at 6.30 am and conclude at Sukhna Lake.
PGIMER director Dr Yogesh Chawla will flag off and join the walkathon along with Vini Mahajan, principal secretary, health and family welfare, Punjab, and Anil Kumar, UT home secretary-cum-secretary (health).
A PGIMER press release issued on Friday said that sedentary lifestyle had become a major health risk and was the leading cause behind obesity in Chandigarh and Punjab.
The walkathon will be followed by a screening camp for hypertension and risk assessment at Zakir Hall in PGIMER at 8.15am.
A symposium will also be organised at PGIMER's Bhargava Auditorium where eminent faculty and experts in the specialties concerned and policy experts will discuss on management, prevention and complications of hypertension.
The state programme officers of Chandigarh and Punjab will also share NCD control activities in Chandigarh and Punjab. Symposium is likely to be attended by 400 participants, who will include doctors, students, teachers, health officials and general public from PGIMER, Chandigarh and Punjab.
Watch your health
Physical inactivity is common. However, we time and again fail to understand that it is a serious problem which has a cascading effect on our health. These are the reasons why lack of exercise is a problem, worldwide:
FATAL
Physical inactivity leads to two million deaths worldwide every year, estimates by the World Health Organisation say. World Health Day is celebrated annually on April 7 and is used as a platform to inform the public about leading public health issues.
RISKS
The WHO also says that a sedentary lifestyle doubles the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression and anxiety.
PREVALENT But ignored
According to WHO, 60 to 85% of people in the world-from both developed and developing countries-lead sedentary lifestyles, making it one of the more serious yet insufficiently addressed public health problems of our time. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of children are also insufficiently active, with serious implications for their future health.