Poshan Abhiyaan and fighting malnutrition with Horlicks and Mr Amitabh Bachchan!

Horlicks, the iconic brand from GSK Consumer Healthcare has recently announced the launch of “Horlicks Mission Poshan” with super star Amitabh Bachchan supporting the government’s Rashtriya Poshan Abhiyaan (Nation Nutrition Mission) to fight under nutrition in our country. “Horlicks Mission Poshan will focus on the first 1000 days of a child with the objective of addressing malnutrition, stunting and infant mortality. Amitabh Bachchan will be part of many activities planned all-round the year including a 12-hour live Telethon and awareness camps across schools and villages.”

Amitabh Bachchan who spearheaded the campaign faced hard criticism soon after this despite all good intentions. This is not the first time though that he has faced critiques. Being the greatest star of the Indian film industry, Amitabh Bachchan has been a soft target since forever. We have closely monitored, disproved, condemned and trolled him for everything he does or he does not. After the Bofors scandal the star has wanted to distance himself from all kinds of discourses and controversies. He has tried his best to guard himself and his family from debates but in vain. He has been heavily criticized for his silence over Mumbai flood in 2015. He has been trolled for his poor choice of endorsements. (He has once refrained from endorsing Pepsi after facing scathing criticism). He has been ridiculed for his childish rants over his lost followers in twitter. More recently, he has been criminalized for his silence (and later an irresponsible comment) on the Kathua rape case.

At times, I feel that we are too hard on him. He may be the biggest star but he too has the right to his life, to be silent as and when he decides to especially in this age of post truth polarisation and alternate facts where our existence is too vulnerable too futile. However, this time it is different.

The choice of Mr Amitabh Bachchan to be associated with Mission Poshan is extremely plausible just like many others. The Pulse Polio campaign (2002) endorsed by the star has been a huge hit followed by his support for Swachh Bharat (safe sanitation and anti open defecation - 2016). So, it's no wonder that our government chose him to a part of Poshan Abhiyaan and he is the campaign ambassador of Mission Poshan of Horlicks (May 2018). Mission Poshan is a venture of Horlicks, a pricey malted "health drink" full for unhealthy sugar (carb) with a tagline: "a trusted bottle of Horlicks has been an indispensable part of the Indian household cupboard for the last three generations." 

It's surprising that with this kind of regressive standardization of health science we are "here to fight the malnutrition in our country”! Horlicks is harshly criticized for propagating unsubstantial health claims in commercials. It is harmful with high sugar content and is labeled as empty calorie by the health scientists. Several nutritionists and health campaigners have disapproved of this and voiced their opinion.

“Amitabh Bachchan’s association with Horlicks can be harmful. Sugar has no nutritional value whatsoever. It is a major cause of obesity and there is increasing evidence that added sugar increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver,” says Dr. Aseem Malhotra, an internationally known campaigner for healthy foods.

"Promotion of Horlicks stating that it helps kids in gaining height, weight, brain development and the healthy immune system is inappropriate as these claims are scientifically unsubstantiated,” said Dr J.P. Dadhich, a paediatrician in Delhi.

Denunciation is but the hind side of super stardom and Amitabh Bachchan has relentlessly swerved it. But this time it is a different battle altogether. It's the future of our children - the health of the millennial we are dealing here. Corroborating with Horlicks, Poshan Abhiyaan has actively defied science of food and this is when the world is restructuring the health science and India has dissociated  itself from the campaign objective. A whole lot thing is happening all over the world everyday and the health advocates are coming up with new purpose and new ways to healthy living. It's very important that we remain well informed about pro health choices for the people of India will neither forgive its government nor Mr Amitabh Bachchan for any negligent and disagreeable choice concerning the health of our children ever.

Photo copyright: Flickr

The meat scandal and the Bengali delirium - To eat or not to eat

The recent meat scandal took a psychic toll on Calcutta a.k.a. Kolkata. The food loving city witnessed a delirium that shook the nation overnight. In what seemed to be a compulsive frenzy the Bengalis turned from being meatatarians to being vegetarian just in a wink of eye! That is particularly strange because the Bengalis swear by fish, meat and everything that is "non-vegetarian". So, to turn

a Bengali meatless you need to do something really horrific and nothing more horrific can ever happen to any nation than to mess up with the staple of its people. 

The meat scandal unleashed a whole new perspective of consumerism in Kolkata. What we wanted to buy and what we actually bought - the disparity has been staggering. The horrific act of supplying rotten meat and carcasses of animals to the eateries and we, as end users, eating it in delicious packaging left us shocked and disgusted. It’s a different level of never seen before criminal connivance.

Following this, copious bytes on television channels unfolding news of unhygienic and criminal act of meat scandal has left the meatatarian Bengalis pathetically shaken. The ghastly criminality traded

in the toxic rotten flesh even to the reputed eating houses and made us loathe it more. So, when we as a family, found ourselves refraining from eating meat and chicken it was not a surprise.  The decision was compulsive and generic. 

Our kitchen, too, like most Bengali household, is hit hard by this sudden sting operation. In an endeavour to replace the meat satiation, my mother is busy revamping her culinary skills. She wanted to do this since long and now she has enough reasons and motivation. The end result – we are enjoying the traditional, almost forgotten, delicious vegetable recipes at home. So, if you find me writing down about vegetable Bengali recipes in the several of the articles henceforth don't be surprised. 

Keep visiting folks. I will be up with some wonderful authentic Bengali vegetable recipes soon. Thank you.


Pic credit: LiveLiving

Trust your doctor

Coming to the point straight - charged with expansive info (half truth, all dark), we are in a state of compulsive confusion today. This calls for serious rethinking. What we see, what we hear are not always true. We need to question our rationale; we need to take a bird's eye view of the situation.

Being a proud part of hospital industry, I have been privileged to know several medics and medicos who work with all their goodness, 24 hours on call, day in and day out, without any timeout. They have saved thousands of lives over the years. They have also treated many without charging their fees. Yes they have. That said it would be unfair to equate them with God. They can't reverse mortality but what they can do is something super. They do their best to save us. And of course they deserve love, respect, empathy and more if not for this but for the simple fact that they are humans who have vouched for our wellness. 

So, when you abuse doctors, nurses, healthcare staffs you disrespect one of you. When you abuse doctors for one death remember that they have also saved thousands. Pls use your sense of judgement. Trust your doctor.

The problem today is more socio-political, more infrastructural than anything else. How to resolve this? Corporate greed is one thing and doctor's ethics is another. Going by that perspective, we just need to sustain faith. Hospitals can't thrive without doctors, can they? So trust the doctors, respect them for all their goodness. We need to endure this ghastliness with hope, integrity and strength. Yes, this too shall pass. 

A personal note to the doctors:

Dear doctors,

you have saved me and my on several occasions. I respect you for all the respect you have shown. I love you for all the love you have bestowed on me. I stand by you since you have stood by me when I was sick. I salute you for your righteousness and kindness.

Thank you doctors.

#Respect #HaveFaith #HaveFaithInDoctors #TrustYourDoctor