The Hindu Business Line : Fitness takes the cake

Unhealthy eating patterns and lack of exercise have resulted in greater incidence of obesity and other health hazards. However, with increasing awareness, more and more people are hitting the gym and watching their diet.

A high-profile lawsuit filed against McDonald's Corp., blaming the burger giant for childhood obesity, was dismissed in January, and a suit seeking to ban Oreo cookies in the State of California was also thrown out in May. But these are clear indications that for more and more people, health is no laughing matter.

Food companies such as McDonald's, Kraft and Pizza Hut— which have sold high-fat, high-calorie food for years, are facing increasing pressure from consumer groups, the Government and lawyers in the US and other countries for their role in a potential health care crisis. The number of obese people in the US has more than doubled since 1980, and is near 50 million, while obesity reportedly exacts a higher toll on health and healthcare costs than either smoking or drinking.

The World Health Organisation, which recently called obesity a worldwide epidemic, is pressing food companies to change their product line-ups and curtail their marketing to children.

Meanwhile, nearly 200 companies, including Ford Motor, General Mills and PepsiCo, have joined together in a programme to try to cut obesity-related health costs, which they estimate as shaving off $12 billion from their budgets each year. Employers are dealing with lost productivity, higher prescription drug costs to treat chronic ailments and more hospital stays for complaints such as heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.

In India, while obesity is not quite an epidemic, changing lifestyles — particularly among certain socio-economic and demographic segments — place us at a greater risk of acquiring other lifestyle-related illnesses such as diabetes, cardio-vascular and gastro-enterological conditions.

With a faster pace of life and work, professionals and executives are under tremendous pressure, and health often takes a backseat. Skipped breakfasts, a hurried lunch eaten at the desk or a rich power lunch with alcohol, and dinner that is ordered in or hastily put together, do not provide the requisite nutrients. Longer hours at work, frequent travelling, and congested living conditions in the cities, means that physical activity is also at a minimum. And, with children spending more hours in front of the TV or the computer, and snacking on junk food, good health habits are not being passed on to the next generation, either.

Certainly, there is greater awareness of the ill effects of eating poorly and of physical inactivity; information is available in plenty in newspapers, magazines, on the TV, on the Internet, and from your friendly personal trainer at the gym. Indeed, everyone knows the basics of eating sensibly, exercising frequently, smoking and drinking moderately and being disciplined. And companies — from pharmaceutical majors and air conditioner manufacturers to bottled water marketers — are tapping into the need for products that can help people live healthier.

Health supplements

Fast Moving Health Goods, comprising everything from multi-vitamins and diet supplements to sugar substitutes and ayurvedic preparations are rampant on shop shelves. There are also air conditioners that claim to deliver germ-free air, refrigerators that are "freshetarian," water purifying systems, and home fitness equipment, besides the growing numbers of gyms, holistic health centres and spas across the length and breadth of the country.

It is estimated that healthcare is third on the Indian consumer's spending list, ranking higher than even apparel and entertainment. "People have started to realise that health needs to be seen as an important strategic asset, and given the pressures of modern life, physical and psychological well being are therefore imperatives to doing well at the workplace, as well as maintaining a harmonious home life," says Suveen Sahib, CEO, Mount Everest Mineral Water Ltd., which markets the Himalaya and Evian water brands. "Therefore, there is an emergence of the fitness culture, organic foods, art of living, yoga and meditation."

Bottled water is among the fastest growing beverage in the country, and there is a demand for more than merely quenching one's thirst from the bottle. People want to know the origin of the water, its composition, and its level of purity, Sahib says. The emergence of the "thermal culture" is set to boom in India in the coming years: "We will see waters, especially natural mineral waters, replacing other beverages due to the inherent simplicity of their constitution and positive health implications," Sahib predicts.

Dr Morepen plans to roll out a chain of outlets called Tango, which will comprise a health bar, fitness centre, beauty parlour and a spa, besides a pharmacy. With its products and retail offerings, the company plans to address the four aspects of health: diagnostic, breakdown, preventive and enhancement. Currently, its range of health enhancers includes products such as C-Sip, which is a fortified alternative to colas, C-Candy — a healthier option to candy, and Y-Sugar, a sugar substitute.

The company sees itself as a lifestyle companion, and has identified cardio, diabetes, neuro-psychiatry, respiratory and gastro-enterology as areas to focus on for delivering solutions. "Something like acidity has become a chronic complaint because of stress and poor eating," a spokesperson says. "But people are certainly seeking more information on improving their health and lifestyles. However, while some are taking action — like turning vegetarian, working out, supplementing their diets, or becoming more spiritual, others prefer to pop pills."

Indeed, an entire industry of meal substitutes and meal replacements exists in the west, where people regularly consume energy bars, meal replacement drinks, fortified foods, specially blended multivitamins, protein shakes and cereal bars with multi-alphabet vitamins. With increasing fears over genetically modified foods, pesticides and fertilisers, there is also a huge market for organic foods, which claim to be free of conventional pesticides or fertilisers, antibiotics or growth hormones.

But given the long hours at work, frequent eating out and drinking, and travelling, executives in high-stress jobs are particularly prone to suffering from reduced energy levels and productivity, says fitness expert Micky Makhija, who appears on CNBC's show on executive health. Good intentions are all very well, but the logistics of commuting, travelling and working long hours make it extremely hard for someone to be disciplined about eating right and maintaining a fitness regimen, he adds. Changing your lifestyle — trying to eat sensibly while entertaining clients, for example — is a harder option than incorporating an exercise regimen, but even that is hard to maintain.

So, it is not enough for a company to give its employees discounted gym membership, they must make an attempt to provide a basic fitness centre on the premises, and give employees a reasonable amount of time during the day to make use of the facility without feeling rushed or guilty, Makhija says. "Just a couple of treadmills and a stairmaster and a couple of weight training machines is all you need — and employees must be encouraged to use the facility during lunch or after work," he suggests. "Companies must take more responsibility for their employee's health and fitness, because it will ultimately affect them."On the other side of the table, perhaps the manufacturers of packaged bhujias and namkeens, and cream-filled biscuits should take a leaf out of the books of big guns such as Kraft Foods, which has recently said that it will reduce portion sizes and cut the fat and sugar content of many of its products, which include Oreo cookies and Velveeta cheese. Other companies have also pledged to help moderate consumption of their core products — usually, the tasty, fatty, salty or sugary fare that consumers crave.

Already, in Sweden, advertising aimed at children under 12 has been banned, and New York City public schools recently banned soda, candy and other sugary snacks from school vending machines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that food labels would have to list levels of trans fatty acids, a lead cause of obesity, by 2006.

Besides the negative health aspect of fast foods, soft drinks, confectionery and salty/sugary snacks, a recent report from UBS indicates that there are very real financial implications for these manufacturers, as the debate of the effect of health on the corporate bottom line gathers pace. The UBS report ranked large companies with the highest percentage of unhealthy foods, and Hershey, McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Nestlé were ranked Nos 1, 2, 7 and 10 respectively. But the industry has been reluctant to take the blame, and attributes soaring obesity rates and related illnesses to the increasingly sedentary lifestyle, poor eating choices and a lack of personal responsibility. Well, truth always hurts — even a half-truth.

With inputs from Nathalia Jones

Picture by A. Roy Chowdhury

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