Bengaluru: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said nearly 35.6 per cent of the country's population is considered to be obese which certainly is an alarming situation.
"Our country's obese population is rapidly growing as the time is passing which is even more alarming. Country needs to wake up. Sensing this trouble, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced, Fit India scheme. But, this scheme needs all round support from doctors, media and people at large to succeed in cultivating the Fit India concept among the entire population," he said.
Virtually inaugurating the three-day 19th National Conference of Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of India that was organized here by the OSSICON from New Delhi, he said that he makes it a point every day to walk small distances or riding bicycle instead of asking his driver to ferry him in his car.
"While in rural areas, with farming becoming more mechanical, even farmers have started using their bike or car to cover small distances as a result of this, obesity is also high among the rural population in the country, which was not the case about two decades ago," the minister said.
Mandaviya said that people should use technical advancements to lead a healthy lifestyle instead of leading a sedentary lifestyle resulting in obesity in the country. "Leading a healthy lifestyle does not cost much, actually it is free of cost, if one decides to modify their lifestyle and tune their mindset to lead a healthy lifestyle. According to me, one can start with leading a healthy lifestyle by taking a walk or covering small distances on a bicycle instead of covering these small distances on a motor bike or a car," he said. (UNI)