An interesting status update of a dr. turned rebel turned activist who has shaken the entire administration of Chandigarh from self-induced slumber … Dr. gaurav chabra ‘karma’ who was lamenting over the condition of anemia in India. To quote him, “My idea of treatment of Anemia is NOT dispensing iron pills or supplements and nor is it restricted to creating awareness for prevention alone. I see cure in ‘Food” alone. It seems out of the domains of prescribed teaching at medical school, at present but not for long. More doctors have to step out of hospitals to treat diseases of society and politics. That would actually be true preventive medicine!”
This started a series of comments on a popular networking site where yes, preventive medicine is the answer and some like Divya Kaul say that we have all forgotten the basic structural support of life – food and water. The activist looks down upon doctors whose main aim is to publish papers bring laurels and forget about the real change which they can bring about in the tiers of society. Another aspect which was highlighted was that one section of the society is willingly adopting or trying to be fashionably slim according to the hoohah created by fashion magazines, the media and the crass commercialization of life which is sucking us into a downward spiral. It is fashion for some but ‘ majboori’ for the rest. A fashionably thin, with a willowy figure, wan cheeks supporting a mega-carat ring will not eat to maintain her figure but a poor woman will stare out at you with her brown eyes searching your soul for her next meal.
The Indian society is a study in contrasts- where one hand we have the slim, anorexic woman who depending on your yardstick is willowy or wasted. The fashionista label is spreading here too…, its mainstream is fuelled by international designers like Dior, Burberry, Armani who promote the waif- thin look. When was the last time you saw a fat model wearing a Burberry trench coat? Nope, never. This under-fed, scrawny look is achieved by eating carrots, ruining ones metabolisim, following some new-fangled diet suiting your body-type. Do you realize the more complicated the diet, the more expensive it is? Imagine a world, where one is paying to stop eating? John Lennon must be turning in his grave!!!
This pressure starts from the very young starting at 10 yrs... And extreme cases are diagnosed at Fortis where nasty comments, peer pressure, opposite sex remarks turn healthy girls into sticks. The androgynous look is preferred fuelled by the television, and the access to internet .On the other hand, we have the rest of the society for whom scraping together the next meal is impossible. Just imagine the next time you order in the pizza the bill is equal to a month’s ration in villages of Punjab. And, this is your prosperous Punjab.. A land of plenty. According to a survey done by the PSWC along with the Civil Hospital authorities, girls from the ages of 9-12 yrs were anemic to the extent of 72% with an hb of 6.2 avg.
This was due to diet, poor living conditions, giving preference to the male members of the family. Brothers come first, you see. This is a fact, which stares at all of us but we just turn a shoulder. The poor are anemic due to poor dietetic awareness, and the main culprit poverty.
It would be wonderful, if realistic solutions can be found for this condition.
The author would appreciate answers which can be implemented for a practical long-term solution and not the usual castle in the air suggestions