by NR INDRAN / INT
Mumbai : VLCC, a leading Wellness brand in South Asiaand the Middle East, has been committed to spreading awareness aboutobesity and its ill effects. On the eve of Anti-Obesity Day (26thNovember), an initiative that the organization launched 12 years ago, VLCCreleased a knowledge paper that shares the growing prevalence as well asseriousness of osteoporosis as a health condition and ascertains a linkagebetween Obesity and Osteoporosis. This is another step in VLCC’s on-goingefforts to ensure a better quality of life for everyone and highlight theproblems arising from obesity, a dominant lifestyle disease prevailing today.

Accordingto the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International OsteoporosisFoundation (IOF), osteoporosis is second only to cardiovascular disease, as aglobal healthcare problem. About 300 million people in India suffer fromosteoporosis and it is speculated that in the next decade as much as 50% of theIndian population will be victim to this condition. Osteoporosis is also threetimes as common in Indian males as compared to their counterparts anywhere elsein the world. The VLCC Study on Obesity & Osteoporosis highlights the growingdangers of Osteoporosis and its direct linkage to Obesity. The study wascommissioned under the watchful eyes of Dr Veena Aggarwal, Head of R&D,VLCC Health Care Ltd

Speakingabout VLCC’s Anti Obesity drive, Mrs. Vandana Luthra, Founder and MentorVLCC said: “As pioneers in the Wellness domain in South Asia and MiddleEast it is incumbent upon us to take active interest in propagating awarenessabout the dangers of Obesity and related issues. It has been our endeavor,through constant research and study, to understand the underlying factors thatcause Obesity, the effects Obesity can have on an individual’s health as wellas to lay down recommendations for preventive healthcare. This study is anotherstep in understanding the problems associated with obesity which is the rootcause of even greater health risks like osteoporosis and provides our clientswith effective preventive measures.”

The VLCC Knowledge Paper onOsteoporosis provides specific inputs on Dietary Management of Osteoporosis,guidance on therapeutic activity patterns and bone strengthening therapies. Thepaper touches upon topics that create adequate awareness about prevention ofOsteoporosis like ‘Osteoporosis Statistics of India’, ‘Burden of Osteoporosis’,‘Knowing the Silent disease – Osteoporosis’, ‘Strong bones: Pillars to ourinner health and external being’, ‘Surfacing of Osteoporosis symptoms’ and thelike.

Commentingon the VLCC Osteoporosis study and VLCC’s Anti-Obesity Drive, Dr. VeenaAggarwal, Head of R&D, VLCC Health Care Ltd., said “The study conductedbrings out some startling findings that have been an eye opener to all. Obesityis a lifestyle disease that is rapidly catching up amongst urban audiences. Thefact that Osteoporosis is linked to obesity and is increasingly found inyoungsters too, has opened up a debate on how we take care of our health.”

Mrs.Vandana Luthra also unveiled the ‘Osteoporosis ribbon’ at the event along withShabana Azmi. The lace ribbon in off -white colour is symbolic to the weakeningof the bone caused due to osteoporosis. The emblematic lace would creategreater awareness amongst audiences about the disease and help detect it at theearlier stage thus reducing the risk involved.

TheVLCC Group is in three related businesses in the ‘Wellness’ domain:

-Slimming, skin & hair services;

-Vocation education & training institutes for beauty & nutrition;

-Manufacturing & retailing of personal care products.

VLCChas emerged as an iconic Wellness brand whoseoperations today span South Asia and Middle East, with a presence in over 260locations across 109 cities in 9 countries, including UAE, Oman, Bahrain,Qatar, Kuwait, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. It employs nearly 6000professionals, a majority of whom are doctors, nutritionists, psychologists,cosmetologists, beauticians, physiotherapists and the like. It has servedover 10 million customers since its inception

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