Srinagar: JK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has extended his support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign against obesity, urging wider participation to combat lifestyle-related health risks on Monday.
Taking to X, Abdullah emphasized the adverse health effects of obesity, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes, respiratory issues, and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
"I'm very happy to join the campaign against obesity launched by PM @narendramodi ji. Obesity causes a number of lifestyle related health issues like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes & breathing problems not to mention mental health conditions like anxiety & depression," he posted.
"Today I'm nominating these 10 people to join the PM's campaign against obesity & requesting them to nominate a further 10 people each to take this fight forward: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Sajjan Jindal, Deepika Padukone, Sania Mirza, Irfan Pathan, Supriya Sule, Kuldeep Handoo, Sheetal Devi, Iqra Rasool, Palak Bijral," the post added on X.
On February 23, during the 119th episode of his Mann Ki Baat radio program, PM Modi addressed the growing problem of obesity in India, especially among children, and urged citizens to make small but significant changes in their daily diets.
The Prime Minister shared alarming statistics, revealing that obesity cases have doubled in recent years. He pointed out that one in every eight people in India is affected by obesity, with an even more concerning rise in cases among children.
In a move to tackle this issue head-on, PM Modi urged people to reduce their consumption of cooking oil by 10 per cent, explaining that such a small change could have a big impact on public health.
"In order to build a fit and healthy nation, we must address the issue of obesity. We need to reduce oil consumption by 10 per cent every month. When purchasing oil for cooking, aim to buy 10 per cent less. This will be a significant step toward reducing obesity and improving our health," PM Modi said in his Mann Ki Baat speech.
He emphasized that even minor adjustments to our eating habits can lead to a stronger, fitter, and disease-free future.
In his bid to widen the campaign's reach, PM Modi used his X handle to nominate prominent personalities to spread awareness about obesity and the benefits of reducing oil consumption.
He tagged several influential figures, including business magnate Anand Mahindra, actor-politician Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua), athlete Manu Bhaker, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, actors Mohanlal and R. Madhavan, singer Shreya Ghoshal, and author-politician Sudha Murty, asking them to take up the challenge and nominate 10 more people each.
"As mentioned in yesterday's #MannKiBaat, I would like to nominate the following people to help strengthen the fight against obesity and spread awareness on reducing edible oil consumption in food. Let's work together to make India fitter and healthier," PM Modi wrote on his social media platform. (ANI)