VLCC Launches Nationwide Campaign to Fight Obesity
‘Stand Up India’
VLCC Launches Nationwide Campaign
to Fight Obesity
Prolonged sitting is the new smoking
by Shrutee Kate/DNS
Mumbai, 25th November, 2015: In a build-up to Anti-Obesity Day on November 26th, leading Indian wellness and beauty brand VLCC today announced the launch of its annual anti-obesity campaign to raise awareness about the ill effects of this global pandemic.
Stand Up India, is a public awareness campaign that seeks to make people aware of the dangers of prolonged sitting, urging them to be more active. People who sit for 6-7 hours every day are at an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and shorter life spans as well as becoming overweight, even if they exercise, say studies. A report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in January 2015 finds that long hours of sitting increases an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. This risk can be cut down by standing for at least one-fourth of the day, observes a research by the American Cancer Society in collaboration with The Cooper Institute, the University of Texas and the University of Georgia.
A knowledge paper “Obesity in the Indian context” by VLCC reveals that reducing sitting time and standing for an hour can help burn approximately 50 extra kilocalories. So by standing for two hours a day for a year one can lose more than 25,000 calories (that is running at least 6 marathons), or nearly three kgs.
“Prolonged sitting is equivalent to the ‘new smoking’. While all of us are concerned about our health, constantly looking out for alternatives to help us stay fit like eating healthy or working out, we ignore what is the most basic: the time we spend sitting down”, says Mrs Vandana Luthra. “I urge you to stand up for your health. Log on to www.orangepledge.com and take the Orange Pledge if you agree to ‘stand up’ against obesity.”
India’s average overweight percentage has jumped from around 14% in 1980 to around 20% today. It is an established fact that an average person spends 19 hours a day by being sedentary. This physical inaction is a threat many. If daily sitting time were reduced the beneficial effect on population health could be comparable to that achieved for reducing smoking, inactivity or overweight and obesity. A simple act of ‘standing up’ is the first step to fight obesity.
Stand Up India is supported by doctors and health and wellness authorities like Mrs Vandana Luthra, Founder, VLCC, Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairman Medanta The Medicity and Diplomate American Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr Pradeep Chowbey, Chairman- Surgery & Allied Surgical Specialities, Max Institute of Minimal Access, Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, Dr. O.P.Yadava, CEO & Chief Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, National Heart Institute and Dr Harsh Mahajan, Founder & Chief Radiologist, Mahajan Imaging Center, to name a few.
Says Dr. Naresh Trehan, “People ask me how to keep their heart healthy. I tell them, stay active, reduce stress, and don’t smoke. But it is equally important for you to reduce your sitting time. Sitting for hours increases your risk of coronary heart disease and type II diabetes.”
Adds, Dr OP Yadava, “It is important to reduce your sitting time, your sedentary time. Start walking and you will reduce your weight, and keep disease and illnesses at bay.”
Leading companies like BHEL, HCL, Kotak Mahindra Bank and SAP India, to name a few, have also pledged to participate in the campaign by encouraging their staff to stand in a series of intra-company and inter-company competitions. Additionally, VLCC is organising a ‘Stand Up India carnival at DLF Saket mall in New Delhi to spread the word.
In the UAE, VLCC is organising a host of activities ranging from food label-reading sessions to partnering with the World Inter-School Rope Skipping event and ‘Stand Up at Skipathon’ event.
Log on to www.orangepledge.com to take the orange pledge to fight obesity.
About Anti-Obesity Day
Anti-Obesity Day initiative was founded in 2001 by Mrs. Vandana Luthra, Founder, VLCC, who initiated the first step towards launching a campaign to create an awareness about obesity - a public health hazard which was spreading globally. The “Orange Dot” is an icon representing the brand’s ongoing fight against obesity. Taking the Orange Pledge (www.orangepledge.com) means one symbolically agrees to fight obesity and lead a healthier life. The month-long drive by VLCC includes talk shows with health experts, health camps, counselling sessions along with healthy living propagation through media sources among other campaigns and activities and is carried out in the 11 countries in Asia and The Middle East where the company operates.
About VLCC
Founded by Mrs Vandana Luthra as a beauty and slimming services centre in 1989, VLCC is recognized in India and abroad for its comprehensive portfolio of beauty and wellness products and services and also enjoys a high level of consumer trust. As of July 31, 2015, having among the largest scale and breadth of operations within the beauty and wellness services industry in India, we were serving consumers across 301 locations in 134 cities and 11 countries in South Asia, South East Asia, the GCC Region and East Africa, VLCC:
§ Has among the largest scale and breadth of operations within the beauty and wellness services industry in India
§ Runs VLCC Institute that have grown to become India’s largest chain of vocational education academies in beauty and nutrition training segment with more than 60 campuses, training nearly 10,000 students annually and offering courses in multiple disciplines
§ VLCC products are mostly manufactured in plants through our subsidiaries in India and Singapore. GVig, Singapore has a portfolio of products including BelleWave™, SkinMTX™ and Enavose™ BelleWave™ that is distributed by third-party distributors. We market 169 skin care, hair care, body care, functional foods and fortified foods products. We manufacture 158 of these products at our own GMP-certified manufacturing plant in India. Our growing distribution network reaches over 72,000 outlets in India, apart from retail outlets in the overseas markets, primarily in the GCC Region, in addition to third party channels and emerging new channels such as e-commerce and teleshopping, which we are actively pursuing. We also have a bulk manufacturing and formulation development agreement for our personal care products with a Swiss firm.
§ As of July 31, 2015, we had over 4,000 employees including medical professionals, nutrition counselors, physiotherapists and cosmetologists and other specialists and sales staff at our centres
§ Has operations in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Kenya
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