The underlying message from COVID-19 was loud and clear, if your immune system is weak or if you are suffering from any lifestyle disease then you are amongst the most vulnerable set. This concern perhaps is the reason for 78 percent of the respondents have consciously made an effort to build their immunity in the last 12 months, said the survey by VLCC.
The pandemic has induced a radical shift in behaviour towards proactive health management, across age, in the country in the last eight months, reveals the survey. 35 percent have brought changes in their diet while another 34 percent trust in augmenting immunity with a regular indulgence in fitness or yoga sessions, it added.
The report was released to mark the Anti-Obesity Day, a public awareness initiative against Obesity launced by VLCC in 2001 and observed every November 26th of the year. The survey specifically focused on people's response to the crisis that accentuated the challenges related to overall wellness in general and Obesity in particular.
The survey covered more than 5,000 respondents in the age group 22 to 65, through 220 VLCC Wellness & Beauty Clinics across 135 cities in India.
It said 82 percent of people would prefer to seek professional guidance for wellness needs rather than self-experimenting, at least until they get the vaccine. Another key insight that has emerged from the data is that 51 percent of Indians would also like professional guidance for their wellness and weight-management needs.
However, 95 percent of the respondents are not willing to seek professional guidance until they are sure of the highest standards of safety and hygiene at the wellness centres and 60 percent of the respondents are willing to pay 15 to 40 percent premium for ensuring high standards of safety and hygiene. Further 26 percent would prefer wellness centres having a team of qualified professionals, including medical doctors, said the report.
The theme for this year's Anti-Obesity campaign is "TRANSFiRM" that seeks to transform people's lives by motivating them to take the first step to transform their lives with active management of body and mind.
Explaining the theme for the 2020 Anti-Obesity campaign Vandana Luthra, Founder & Co-Chairperson, VLCC Group, said: "All the living generations across the world are witnessing the worst health crisis of their lifetime. Being healthy and fit has become more consequential than ever before. It is heartening to see more and more people across age groups embracing proactive health management and giving the much-needed attention to nurture their mind, body and soul. I have always felt individuals can be responsible for their own well-being only when they have the awareness about how to lead a healthy lifestyle. This was our motivation for launching the annual Anti-Obesity Day initiative in 2001, which is now observed in over 150 cities in the 14 countries that we operate in, with the active participation of local communities, the medical fraternity, local administrations and the media."
