Lifestyle Health Concerns Of The 21st Century Modern Indian Woman

2020 was a good year professionally for Ms. Rani Singh, a 37-year old Mumbai-based senior executive with a popular artist management company. She got a well-deserved promotion after 5 years of hard work and a grueling schedule, attending indulgent late-night meet-and-greets to promote her list of promising singers and actors. The promotion did come at a cost, though - Rani struggles with borderline hypertension and type II diabetes as a result of a hectic lifestyle, unhealthy meals, and sleep-deprivation. She now tries to maintain a healthy work-life balance and has recently joined a yoga class, along with subscribing to a popular dietician's YouTube channel for healthy recipes, to help regulate her health condition.

Fortunately, Rani had the good sense to secure her future medical needs by investing in right health insurance plan with ample cover as soon as she starting working. At least she doesn't have to scramble to organize funds if ever she needs specialized medical attention; instead, she can focus all her energy and effort towards getting the right treatment when the need arises.

Women carry the larger load of maintaining work-life balance as they are expected to be the primary caregivers and homemakers, along with being career-focused. Trying to divide time equally across a successful professional and a gratifying personal life has taken its toll on the ladies of our society. Like Rani, a large number of urban Indian women currently deal with a host of lifestyle-related issues, among other health concerns, arising from the strain of managing work and their household, the most common and critical ones being:

1) Obesity
There are more than 30 million obese people in our country, and the problem is more acute among women, particularly those belonging to the urban middle and upper class. The causes are quite obvious - consumption of high-energy foods (sugars and trans fats) and low levels of mobility or activity. The fast-food boom over the past couple of decades has only added to the problem. In the long run, being overweight can lead to serious health concerns, like insulin resistance, high cholesterol, multi-organ malfunction, and heart attacks.

2) High Blood Pressure
Hypertension is on the rise among Indians - in 2016 it led to 1.63 million deaths, causing heart disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease. One common and concerning factor leading to rising numbers of hypertensive people is unhealthy habituation to smoking and alcohol. Peer and work pressures are the usual suspects; not to mention the high calorie and salty fried snacks consumed along with. It is no wonder then, that the leading causes of deaths in India, as per a 2019 survey, are cardiovascular diseases and respiratory illnesses.

3) Cholesterol
One in five Indians die of heart attacks. It has been observed that more than 79% of Indians have unbalanced cholesterol and triglycerides in their blood. A 2017 survey revealed that nearly 50% of Indian women have erratic cholesterol levels, making them susceptible to heart attacks and stroke. This could be attributed to basic Indian cuisine which is heavy on carbohydrates and fats. Moreover, women who lead inert lives with no exercise, and consume an unhealthy diet are in high risk zones.

4) Sleep Deprivation
India is sleep deprived. A bold yet factual statement, proven by a recent AIIMS study. Besides being one of the main causes of diabetes and heart attacks among young and middle-aged Indians, it has also been cited as a reason for an increase in the number of accidents in our country. Late night work and addiction to browsing social media platforms, e-commerce websites, and online-streamed shows have led to lesser and more fitful bedtime. Medical practitioners have an apt term for such people - they call them "night owls"; active at night and unable to make up for lost sleep during the day.

5) Depression and Anxiety
Recently a number of Bollywood celebs including Deepika Padukone and Karan Johar have revealed their lengthy and strenuous battle with depression, owing to dearth of work or the pressures of being scrutinized constantly under the limelight. This mental health concern isn't limited to celebrities alone; it extends to regular people too, particularly women. National Mental Health Survey of India noted in 2015 that over 45 million people experienced depression at some stage in their life. And, it is 2-3 times more common in women than men. Other than the common factors that result in depression in both genders, women additionally are prone to post partum depression and hormone-related mental health issues (during perimenopause or menopause).

6) Cirrhosis
A common and nearly fatal result of excessive alcohol consumption, cirrhosis affects nearly 10 lakh new patients in India every year. Alcohol abuse is a perennial problem particularly among the 16-50 years age group in our country. What is most alarming is that the average age when people start drinking is 16, and the age at which alcoholic liver disease starts is between 30-40 years.

Wake-up Call
By altering your lifestyle choices and regimenting a wholesome diet and regular exercise, abstaining from addictions, and taking some time out for a relaxing stress-relieving activity, you can avoid or control most of these health concerns. If it goes unchecked, though, one cannot avoid an instance in the future when one would need focused and urgent medical attention to correct the underlying issue and revive good health, the cost of which is ever-increasing. This is where your health insurance will help you - with sufficient hospital coverage and health benefits, your financial woes will be mitigated at the time when you would want to focus mainly on getting yourself back in shape. And, the sooner you consider taking a health insurance policy, the better, as it would cost you comparatively lesser for better benefits, and you wouldn't have to wait to get your policy issued.

Sana Insure can help you with the process of evaluating the numerous health policies available in the market and choosing the one best suited to your needs. The process is quick and easy - log on to sana.insure to enter some basic details, and a Sana Expert will connect with you to proceed further.

Wish you a healthy and happy life!