Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya led a diverse group of cyclists here on Sunday, taking forward Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's call to fight obesity in India.
This week’s Fit India Sundays on Cycle event at the Major Dhyanchand Stadium saw participation a from myriad group of doctors and nutritionists, who took forward the message. Also present was Paris Paralympics medalist Rubina Francis as well as several youngsters from the Bharati College Delhi and the Soniya Vihar Water Sports Club.
“Obesity is a major issue and a big challenge for the youth. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says one out of eight people are obese. Therefore, exercise and playing sports is very important these days.
Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi mentioned about the same at the 38th National Games in Dehradun. We have to lessen our oil consumption and be very conscious of our diet. Cycling consistently will play a beneficial role in this fight against obesity.
Through Fit India, we can win this fight,” mentioned Dr Mandaviya on Sunday morning. Rubina Francis expressed how the Fit India Sundays on Cycle event is a great step in moving towards this fight against obesity.
“Initiatives like this makes the country move towards good health and fight against obesity. Not only will cycling or doing yoga early in the morning bring a lot of positivity in life but also help in the mission towards an obesity-free India.
As an athlete, this morning routine has helped me a lot and I feel adapting the same will help the general public as well,” said Rubina, bronze medalist in the P2 10m air pistol SH1 event at Paris 2024.
Dr Tribhuvan Gulati, Diabetes and Obesity specialist, who was a part of the group of riders, shed light on several health risks obesity plays, “Obesity brings along with it 130 different diseases like osteoarthritis, kidney diseases, liver diseases, fatty liver, pre-diabetes, diabetes, PCOD in women, sexual dysfunction in both men and women, and more.
WHO has labelled obesity as a disease in 2016. It is not an aesthetic or cosmetic problem. India labelled obesity as a disease in 2018 that should not be left untreated. This is a big health issue.” Dr Piyush Jain, senior paediatrician and a member of Indian Medical Association (IMA), mentioned that cycling is a positive step in combating obesity.
“There has been a lot of inactivity among the kids today because of mobile phones and no outdoor games. Sensitising the public on this through the cycling movement is very important. Right now, 20% Indian people are diabetic and by 2030, it will be 35%.
We are getting away from healthy food and exercise. Once you start cycling or any other exercise, it increases the metabolism of the body. Energy is consumed and from the moment we start losing weight, the person also becomes more motivated,” said Dr Jain.
Sports nutritionists from SAI National Centre for Sports Science and Research (NCSSR) were also part of the group of riders. Anshu Malik, Sports Nutritionist, SAI NCSSR said, “When we cycle regularly, our heart rate increases.
Once it happens, the overall body toning takes places and the overall BMR also increases. When BMR increases, the weight automatically normalises. Therefore, weight management is also taken care of.
Apart from that, as a nutritionist I can say that cycling will make you look young forever.”Dr Mandaviya launched this unique cycling drive at the same venue on December 17 last year and several cycling drives have been conducted pan-India every week thereafter.
The event has been staged at more than 3500 locations across the country with the participation of more than 3 lakh riders. Events are simultaneously held nationwide at SAI Regional Centres, National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) and the Khelo India centres (KICs).
The Fit India Sundays on Cycle, organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and MY Bharat, promotes cycling as a sustainable, healthy and environment-friendly mode of transportation.