Think India Foundation

Staying fit is expensive

Discounts remain the most popular way to attract customers as membership fees at gyms have increased across cities.

Keeping fit has become an expensive proposition for urban Indians as membership fees at gyms have increased across cities and chains. Between Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, the capital city turns out to be the costliest in which to join a gym. Read more

Source : www.moneycontrol.com

For pregnant obese women, risk is higher

Bangalore : Pregnant obese women, mostly those who conceive after 30 years of age, must watch their diet and weight. If they do not follow a healthy meal plan, they may be affected by gestational diabetes (GD) with abnormally high levels of sugar in their blood.

It is estimated that 5-10 per cent of pregnant women living in urban areas develop GD which can lead to complications in the new-born too if not properly monitored. Thanks to the present day lifestyle, the number of GD cases have increased manifold compared to a decade ago. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Diabetes prevalent among urban kids in India

Bangalore : The risk of diabetes is higher among urban children in India with lack of exercise and increased intake of calorie-rich food as major causes, a recent survey has found.

A survey conducted by the country's apex trade body ASSOCHAM on the occasion of World Diabetes Day on Nov 14 found over 40 per cent of youngsters aged between 10 to 15 in urban centres do not exercise and many binge eat and are overweight, Press Trust Of India(PTI) reported. Read more

Source :  www.bernama.com

Breathe, it’s your lungs at stake

Many events are taking place this month to raise awareness of lung health

Lung diseases once primarily found in industrialised countries are now major problems in low- and middle-income countries.

BREATHING is essential to life, but lung health is less recognised as a key health indicator compared to other factors such as blood pressure or weight.

Millions of people struggle for life and breath due to lung diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Read more

Source : www.nst.com.my

Survey reveals digital lives of Gen-Z in India

NEW DELHI: The age for tech adoption seems to be going down rapidly in India, as reveals Ericsson's new ConsumerLab study titled " The Digital Lives of Generation Z". The report shows that even the youngest age group (9-11 years) shows advanced technology adoption and mobile internet usage similar to their older counterparts. 

Fredrik Jejdling, head of region, Ericsson India, says: "This report captures the insights of a dynamic consumer group. These young people will shape the future mobile consumption for our industry." Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mumbai residents spread awareness about fitness, walk for health

Mumbai (ANI): In a bid to urge people to make walking a habit, Mumbai residents participated in a walkathon on Sunday to bring about a long term and sustainable behavioural change in their lives.

The multi-city initiative 'Walk for Health' was announced by Max Bupa Health Insurance Company to inculcate fitness into the lives of people, so that they place health above everything else. Read more

Source : www.newstrackindia.com

Music for weary rail commuters in Mumbai

Mumbai: For a city long known as the financial capital but culturally being at the bottom compared to cities like Shanghai and New York, a lead is being taken for the first time to carry music to public spaces, presently to railway stations, to help bring commuters out of their daily drudgery.

Where the only entertainment for the masses is watching television, this idea of moving to public places as an alternative stage for performance by the National Streets for Performing Arts (NSPA) is already creating an encouraging interaction between artistes and commuters. “The response is positive since commuters who initially spent a few minutes are now standing longer and listening to the musicians,” said Shrishti Iyer, Performance Co-ordinator, HelpYourNgo.com, under which the NSPA has been initiated. Read more

Source : gulfnews.com

Where's the party tonight?

Urban Indians have begun to party in deluxe style

When R. Ayesha turned eight in September, her doting jeweller grandfather made it an evening to remember-he brought snow to Chennai. Her favourite characters from the cartoon blockbuster, Ice Age-Manny the mammoth, Sam the smilodon and Diego the ground sloth-frolicked in the snow with her 50 friends in a Rs. 2-crore set at a sprawling farmhouse on East Coast Road. When the Gucci and Armani-clad wives of 10 millionaire farmers-turned businessmen wanted to gossip last week, they took off from Hoshiarpur to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania for a Rs.20-lakh girls' night out. And if Rajasthan can turn into Naomi Campbell and beau Vladimir Doronin's private party ground, what stops our Mumbai girls from heading for a shots-and-shopping spree to the exotic Polonia Palace in Poland for Rs. 1 lakh per night weekends? From break-ups to birthdays, urban Indians now party with a passion. 

A post-engagement party with an hermes and chanel theme in Delhi.

Exotic destinations, pricey performers and Rs. 3-lakh cakes; nothing is beyond reach. They uncork magnums of Dom Perignon worth Rs. 50,000, fly down international pop stars for a $1 million per hour shake-a-leg, dish out Rs. 2 lakh for a pound of Italian white truffles and live their wildest fantasies with Playboy Mansion and Matrix themed parties that could cost up to Rs. 5 crore a night. At the Formula One VIP after party held at Amber Lounge, in Claridges, Surajkund, on October 28, there were special tables with champagne showers worth Rs. 18 lakh and a performance by rapper Taboo, from the Black Eyed Peas. Read more

Source : indiatoday.intoday.in

The next sexual revolution: All about a room of my own?

Abhijit Banerjee, noted economist and co-author of Poor Economics says in an editorial published in the Hindustan Times today that ‘that there are more forms of inequality to worry about than just money’. He asks, “What are we doing as a society to reduce inequality of access to sex?”

Would men and women be relatively free of sexual envy, had they enjoyed economic means that makes sex seem more gettable? Reuters

It’s a valid point. One of the biggest casualties of growing up in a middle class or lower middle class Indian household – where your chemistry books fight for space with your father’s grocery accounts book, where you have had to lock yourself up in the bathroom to say good-morning to the new boyfriend, where you’ve constantly fought with the grandmother to lower the TV volume so that your music player becomes audible – is your sex life. Read more

Source : www.firstpost.com

Maansi to keep date with fiancé through Skype

LUDHIANA: With Karva Chauth just around the corner, women are busy buying stuff for their Karwa "thalis," and of course all those pretty clothes, which they would doll up on D-Day. But then there are others, who besides doing all this are also ensuring that their laptops are in good working condition, as they would be breaking their fast, while skyping with their husbands or fiances.

Maansi Khanna, 27, an HR professional, is one such person who would be doing so as her fiance, Gaurav Puri, who works for a private firm, is based in Australia. And both of them have been staying connected through Skype since their engagement that took place in August. And on her first Karva Chauth, for Maansi, Skype is nothing short of a blessing as in spite of the distance, she would be able to see her beloved not from a "channi" but through her Skype window before she breaks her fast. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Savouring Street food

HYDERABAD: Be it good old chaakna (spicy stew), seekh kekabs or even butter dosas and idlies, one can find it all at the street-side joints in asal Hyderabad. The kebab-laden skewers rotating over the embers, chicken pakodas and chicken sticks sizzling in large pans of oil and the distinct aroma of cut-mirchis never fail to draw the gaze of passersby and shoppers, prompting them to stop for a quick bite. The numerous makeshift outlets offering a plethora of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes bring these streets to life every evening, especially so during the mosoon season.

Abu Abdullah, who has been in the business for the last 15 years says he sells 200-300 plates of kebabs daily at his stall in Purani Haveli. His joint is the oldest among the three located in close proximity. Serving as adept neighbours to the kebab joints are over a century-old naan shops. Not too far away from these popular stalls are two makeshift outlets that sprung about a couple of months ago and have on offer some unusual street snacks such as chicken spring rolls and a short drive further is another new bandi selling fish fry. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Control alt delete?

In the age of tech-enabled happiness, parents need to be imaginative while dealing with their child

A blanket ban on using a computer or the Internet can’t be a solution to prevent kids from going astray

A new survey by a leading computer company has apparently revealed that urban parents want their children to spend more time at home than go out and play. They spoke to parents and kids in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, who said they’d rather have their kids battling away on Xbox than batting away on a pitch. Well not exactly but something like it. 

This is not entirely surprising and the factors are easy to decode. Many working parents want their kids at home during the little time that they are home themselves, even if that only means the kid distractedly clicking away on a button. On the one hand, kids can’t go out of apartment complexes for fear of predators, stray dogs and rash vehicles. Read more

Source : www.punemirror.in

Survey finds 80 percent of urban working Indian women fat

Bangalore: About 80 percent of urban Indian working women in the 25-45 age group are fat because of sedentary lifestyle and changing food habits, a survey by a health organisation has revealed.

"Most of the women who were obese said they were overweight because of sedentary lifestyle, lack of time to walk or exercise due to work pressure, and not having healthy food," Heal Foundation president R. Shankar told IANS here. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com 

Chalk out strategy to counter spread of obesity, diabetes: Experts

There is an alarming increase in obesity and diabetes due to growing prosperity and the changing lifestyle of urban Indians, Ramji Singh, general secretary of the Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India, said on Saturday. He was addressing the association’s annual conference at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College at Aligarh Muslim University.

‘Obesity is the root course of all diseases and there is a need to encourage people to go to parks and sports fields. The rising cases of obesity among youth are a matter of concern and we must chalk out a strategy to counter it,’ said the university’s Pro Vice Chancellor Brig. (retd.) Syed Ahmad Ali. Read more

Source : health.india.com

Urbanites can’t see fire in frying pan

Macau : Most urban Indians, including Mumbaikars, prefer to deep fry their food instead of choosing healthier options like steaming or boiling it.

This was revealed by a study in which nearly 2,000 respondents were surveyed in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata between an age group of 25 and 60 years to understand the most preferable cooking methods. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Divorce rates are skyrocketing in Indian cities too

During a symposium organised by Padma Clinic and Nursing Home on Marriage and Divorce for psychologists, T C S Raja Chockalingam, Additional Principal Family court Judge, highlighted that divorce rate is climbing rapidly. Every city, from Delhi to Chennai, and every class of society is being affected by it. Interestingly, about 5-10 cases — both divorce and alimony — are being filed every day in the family court and over 5,000 divorce cases are still pending, he said. Before delivering the verdict, Chockalingam said that ample time is given for reconciliation through counseling. Dr Kannan Gireesh, eminent psychiatrist, pointed out certain reasons why divorce rates are increasing. Here are a few of them — greater social acceptance of divorce in urban areas and also a gradual acceptance of women who initiate divorce (not in rural areas) because families have started to believe that perhaps their daughter can have a life after a divorce.

The anonymity of big cities has helped divorcees avoid the glare of judgmental  friends and relatives. The financial freedom of women to walk away from an abusive relationship has also helped. The sanctity of marriages is going for a toss. People’s attitude towards marriage itself is changing.  Those couples, who are financially stable and have no kids are not held back by the fear of how a divorce will impact their children. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Kitchen switchover: Cylinder cap to boost sales of modern appliances

Kolkata (IANS) : The union government's decision to cap the number of subsidised cooking gas cylinders per household is likely to push a switchover in kitchens to alternate appliances like induction cookers and microwave ovens, industry experts say.

They say that with increased urbanisation and the rising number of working women, consumers have already been looking for alternate ways of cooking and for more modern cooking appliances. The government's move will accelerate the trend. Read more

Source : www.newstrackindia.com

Avoid stress, have healthy lifestyle for a sound heart: Doc

Ranchi : A fast-paced lifestyle as a result of professional over-ambition, coupled by an unhealthy food habits is taking a toll on the hearts of large number of people in the country, especially at urban centres.

On the World Heart Day today, noted cardiologist Deepak Gupta has advised people, especially young corporate professionals, to take a break from their routine and go for proper exercise and meditation to de-stress themselves. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Ahmedabad’s under 30 no more young at heart

Ahmedabad : The young in Ahmedabad are increasingly falling prey to heart ailments so far associated with people over 50. Data on coronary artery disease (CAD) accessed byDNA from three hospitals in the city show a steady rise in the number of patients who are not yet 30 years old.

The rise is also seen in the number of interventions (angioplasty and others) being carried out on such patients. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

72% corporate employees have heart disease: Assocham

GURGAON: On the occasion of 'World Heart Day' a study conducted by Assocham says that due to demanding schedules, high stress levels, lack of physical activity and poor eating habits, nearly 72% of the corporate become more prone for the cardiovascular diseases.

"Inactive lifestyle, lack of exercise and poor eating habits are making millions of urban Indians face a high risk of heart disease," said DS Rawat, secretary general, Assocham. Majority of them are overweight and prone to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems due to unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Important heart health facts for women

Women take care of every heart around, from parents, siblings, boy friends, husbands, in laws, kids et al... but through all this they forget about their own hearts. 

Important heart health facts for women(Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

On World Heart Day 2012, we take a look at how and why prevention of cardiovascular disease should be of prime concern to women as well. For instance, did you know that heart disease is the number one of killer of women? And, no, we aren't talking about heart breaks! Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Unhealthy Indians

The findings of a survey conducted jointly by the Public Health Association of India and a non-profit body on the health status of Indians in towns and cities should cause serious concern. The survey, which was conducted in 22 urban centres over two years, has found that the incidence of life style diseases, especially heart ailments and diabetes, is fast increasing among the people.

It found that 74 per cent of urban Indians are prone to cardiovascular diseases. Men are more prone than women, but the survey found that 72 per cent of women in the 40-44 age group and 57 per cent of them in the 30-34 age group are at risk. The number of deaths related to cardiovascular problems are projected to more than double from 11,75,000 in 1990 to 25,84,000 in 2020, and most of them will be in productive age group of 30-44. Read more

Source : www.deccanherald.com

Pleasure-pain generation

When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed the nation on Friday, asking citizens to recollect the pre-1991 days that led to the introduction of economic liberalisation, it brought back vivid memories for a whole generation. One of them is Afsal Ahmed, 42, who works for a private company in NCR’s Noida. Ahmed started earning a salary of Rs. 2.5 lakh a year in 1992 (five years into his career) while his father, working in the government sector earned a similar figure after 30 years of service. 

“I got my first credit card as soon I started working. There were plenty of opportunities; buying durables, like a good car was easy and we didn’t have to — or want to — wait,” he says. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Rising urban stress to blame

Mumbai : Following 31-year-old Atul stabbing his father Sudhir Jhemse to death, city psychiatrists have cautioned against a rise in similar incidents. This is the second such incident in the last week, after a 25-year-old woman allegedly threw her four-year-old twin daughters from the Grant Road (East) skywalk. 

“Both these cases are warning signs of rising feelings of helplessness among people living in urban areas. Mumbai is a laboratory churning out people with depression, stress and anxiety,” said Dr Harish Shetty, psychiatrist, Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, who treats about eight patients projecting suicidal tendencies every day. “Displacement of anger is a common practice leading to violence and suicide. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Urban India has a weak heart

Changing lifestyle patterns, coupled with lack of physical exercise has put about 74% of urban Indians at risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVD), a recent study has revealed.

The study
Jointly conducted by Saffola Life and the Indian Public Health Association across 22 cities over the last two years, the study has found out that 72% of women in the 40-44 age-group are at high risk of heart ailments, compared to 57% in the 30-34 age group. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Meet the young boss with a digital & global mindset

NEW DELHI: That the young are restless is true across every generation. But three traits unique to this generation of India Inc's young leaders are driving remarkable changes in the way corporations work, say India Inc CEOs who have successfully nurtured young leaders. 

The new crop of young leaders is truly global in its mindset; exposure to social media is making them naturally inclined to collaborate, and as ambitious as they are, their vision accommodates both profit and purpose. "Born-digital, new-age leaders bring a global mindset and have an innate desire and ability to collaborate," says Lakshmi Narayanan, vice-chairman, Cognizant. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

India to become home to 2nd largest number of senior citizens

About 100 million Indians are above the age of 60 and their numbers is expected to double in next fifteen years. However after dedicating their prime years to the nation and the society they are feeling neglected and insecure, financially, spiritually and emotionally.

Growing urbanisation and smaller flats has forced them to change their lifestyle. More importantly, the nuclear families have broken family bonds that required parental care to be the responsibility of the children. Some of the elderly prefer to live in old age homes. Read more

Source : www.presstv.com

Visa's initiative on safe usage of debit cards online

MUMBAI : Instances of ATMs spewing counterfeit notes and fraud during point of sale transactions have resulted in the growth of online usage of debit cards.

Moreover, the lack of point of sale (PoS) terminals in remote areas of the country is paving the way for online transactions, said Uttam Nayak, Country Manager, India and South-Asia, Visa. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Costume jewellery to touch Rs 11,000 cr by 2014: experts

MUMBAI : With gold ruling at Rs 32,000 per 10 grams, the demand for costume jewellery is growing and is expected to touch Rs 11,000 crore by 2014, say experts.

“Increased adoption of the costume jewellery category, expansion in product offerings is expected to drive growth to nearly 20 percent. As such, we expect the market size to reach at least Rs 11,000 crore by 2014,” Juvalia & You India founder and CEO Chaitanya Aggarwal told PTI here. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Healthy but not wealthy

Food marketers have struggled to sell products tagged as ‘healthy’. 

Health and wellness foods are not going down well with Indian consumers, despite marketers making a play for them. Mayank Shah of Parle Products insists taste scores over calories and it is a fallacy that increased consumer awareness and growing health concerns will ensure health foods grow at a healthy rate. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Int'l luxury brands now targeting new Indian urban centers

International luxury brands are now shifting their focus to new urban centers and smaller cities in India where they are stepping up their marketing and advertising strategies and where they are opening new showrooms for their products.

Traditionally conservative markets like Kolkata, capital of India's eastern state of West Bengal, Chennai, capital of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, and Surat, the premier jewellery manufacturing city of India's western state of Gujarat are warming up to luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Armani and Burberry in addition to their outlets in New Delhi, India's administrative capital, and Mumbai, India's financial and commercial capital. Read more

Source : www.globaltimes.cn

Concern over new diseases

“Today, we have made rapid strides in modern science and diagnosis. The advancements in medical science have been an added advantage,” said Governor K Rosaiah.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Central Reference Laboratory of the Hitech Diagnostics Centre at Purasawalkam recently, the Governor added, “Rapid urbanisation and advancements on the socio-economic front have changed our lifestyle patterns, leading to many new diseases.” Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

India needs innovative policies on tobacco advertising: experts

NEW DELHI, India: India is the second-largest producer of tobacco in the world after China, but the per capita consumption of cigarettes in India is a tenth of the world average.

While a rising number of health-conscious Indians are moving towards quitting smoking, cigarette consumption remains less because of the myriad varieties in which tobacco products are available, with an estimated 65 million Indians using smokeless tobacco. Read more

Source : www.channelnewsasia.com

'Alter lifestyle to counter climate change'

VADODARA: Environmentalist and alternative energy promoter Michael Mazgaonkar on Monday emphasized the need to change lifestyles in order to counter climate change effects.

"While we are running out of our energy sources, the consequences of our modern day living are increasingly becoming alarming. Climate change is for real and unless we made conscious decisions to change our lifestyles, we would also be facing a Beijing-like situation where it rained 18 inches in 24 hours, killing 30 people, recently. We have already seen floods in Mumbai," he said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Cycling and the city

Mumbai : On September 5, the Godrej Eon Tour de India 2012, a big cycling carnival, was announced. Starting from Mumbai on November 4 and culminating at Budh International Circuit, Delhi NCR, on November 11, the event is being promoted by the Maharashtra Cycling Association, Tourism Ministry and the Cycling Federation of India. 

In metros and large cities, such cyclothons are getting popular as young adults increasingly take to cycling for recreation, fitness, traffic congestion issues, and due to the development of cycling tracks by state governments – as at the Bandra Kurla Complex and Carter Road in Mumbai – and housing developers. Shikhar Sachdev, 30, a chartered accountant with a multinational company in Mumbai, bought his bicycle for Rs. 12,000 recently “to skip early morning traffic snarls, and remain active.” Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Fancy cars catch Patnaites' fancy

PATNA: Congested city roads and traffic snarls fail to deter the rich and neo-rich of the state capital from flaunting their money as far as owning luxury cars is concerned. The craze for having a Mercedes or an Audi is picking up fast, especially among those who had the money earlier also but they were not eager to show it off on the wheels.

Trekking the business trend, various high-end luxury car manufacturing companies are eager to open a showroom in Bihar. And, the trend is reflected in the rising number of SUVs, MUVS and Sedans above Rs 25 lakh price tag sold in the state during the last five years. Now, no less than 25 Mercedes-Benzes, Audi and BMW are moving on the city roads. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

How rural Indian shoppers are changing

As per a recent study 'Shopper Trends' released by Nielsen, there are various parallels between how urban Indian shoppers are evolving and how their rural counterparts too are changing. 

The study is a global consumer research study conducted in 52 countries to understand shopper attitudes and behavior, and the agency has released the Indian study that was done across 14 cities. The study shows that the companies that win in rural markets are more adept at ensuring the right promotion and better distribution growth than their competitive set. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Have infertility issues? Blame it on messed-up lifestyle

Pune : Married for three years, Reshma Shetty (name changed) went to more than a dozen doctors and tried several medications before finally hitting the gym to solve her fertility issues.

Heavily overweight, Shetty couldn’t conceive despite many attempts and most doctors had a single advice for her — lose weight. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Bank fixed deposits out of favour with urban India

The average percentage of households in the country holding bank fixed deposits remains below 50%

Retail asset ownership patterns reveal much more than just product penetration. A large allocation to assets such as gold and real estate points to a lack of reach and/or a lack of trust in financial products. A robust survey is a good place to analyze asset ownership patterns. 

Over the next few months, Mint Money will showcase the results of the Indian Financial Scape survey conducted by Delhi-based economics research firm Indicus Analytics to track patterns of financial asset ownership. The second in the series looks at the financial products that urban India holds. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

First-time gold buyers’ club getting younger

MUMBAI: Gold has been scaling new highs, pulling down the demand - it touched a record Rs 31,077 per 10 grams in Mumbai on Monday before closing at Rs 30,920. Yet, the club of first-time buyers of the precious metal is getting younger. Not only that. Although the bridal category still contributes 50% of the total gold consumption, Indian consumers are increasingly purchasing gold jewellery on personal occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries, rather than waiting for an auspicious occasion. 

Both the trends are being fuelled by demographic shifts. While consumers, including women, start earning at an early age, marriages are getting delayed by about 5-7 years. This has forced a change in jewellery designs, making them more attractive to the younger consumers, who may or may not be married. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Why does Bangalore get angry?

Bangalore: Don’t angry me’. When Akshay Kumar’s Rowdy Rathore character punched his way and struck a chord with the masses, it unconsciously amplified the inner feelings of many a million. Today, stress is considered to be a common physical reaction to the multiple frustrations and pressures of daily life. Anger is often the emotional expression of that stress. How your body reacts to physical and emotional stress is very similar to aging, according to Deepak Chopra in his classic book, 'Ageless Body, Timeless Mind'.

When you are faced with stress on a daily basis, the result is increased emotions of anger.

When you are faced with stress on a daily basis, the result is increased emotions of anger. One of the universal triggers of ‘anger’ as described in Emotions Revealed by Dr Paul Ekman, is called ‘interference’. Which means that you are ‘restrained or inhibited’ in some way. So when Bangalore is growing at a pace that has surprised many analysts in the past, the city’s population has been constantly been facing several of such restrain. Right from being stuck in a traffic jam, to being diagnosed with an illness to having trouble in love, to not being able to say what’s on the mind, to rising debts to healthcare issues to feeling the tug-of-war between work and home responsibilities to experiencing computer crashes, cell phone failures, etc. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

One drink a day elevates cancer risk!

Large amounts of alcohol have always been linked with health issues, but a new study has now found that even one drink increases the risk of cancer significantly. The study has identified that light drinking is responsible for 34,000 deaths a year worldwide, and that a single alcoholic drink a day could increase the risk of cancer. Until now all studies circled around people drinking moderate to large amounts of alcohol, or binge drinking and never focused on occasional/social drinkers.

The study led by researchers from the University of Milan, was based on 150,000 men and women showed that light drinking increased the likelihood of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, oesophagus and breast. One drink a day increases the risk of cancer of the oesophagus by almost a third, cancer of the  oral cavity and pharynx by 17 percent, and breast cancer in women by 5 percent.  The study was reported in the Annals of Oncology, and analysed data from more than 200 research projects. Read more

Source : health.india.com

Pushing yourself on treadmill will bring you to your knees

Mumbai : Kanchan Seth was baffled each time she found herself clenching her jaws in pain while climbing a flight of stairs. In time, the 23-year-old fitness freak figured out that her 45 minute-long walk on the treadmill was the culprit for the recurring knee pains.

Seth isn’t alone. Several orthopaedic surgeons in the city say many fitness freak residents who prefer to run only on treadmills are landing at their doors with knee problems. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Maid in India

Most urban homes would turn chaotic without the maid and the cook. 

Recently, when a family tragically lost their young daughter who was living alone in a bustling city, the first person who flew in to be with the family in their hour of grief was their cook. Read more

Source : www.deccanherald.com

Delhi, Bangalore Ranked Highest in Top 10 Most Expensive Cities in India

Depending on which source you like, Delhi and Bangalore are ranked as the most expensive cities in India today. 

OMGTOPTens.com, a Los Angeles online site, puts Delhi at the top.  Zimbio Inc. of San Carlos, CA argues Bangalore is the most expensive. Read more

Source : www.worldpropertychannel.com

Bangloreans drown the mall fatigue, weekend fun now goes beyond

Bangalore : Ever felt bored of visiting the same malls, pubs and multiplexes? Well, how about trying your hand at pottery for a weekend or attending an urban gardening workshop.

Young couples, retired people, college-goers are discovering newer and innovative ways of having fun during weekends.

Take the case of 29-year-old Shagufta Sami. After a hectic week at work, she decided to do something creative to satiate the artist inside her. She decided to try her hand at pottery. Going for a movie or visiting malls was getting boring, says Shagufta. “I decided to enroll for a pottery class along with my friends. The experience was out of the world. It was the first time we were doing something like this,” she says, adding that now she is looking forward to attending classes in block printing. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Consumption begins to splutter

While the slowdown on the investment side is well known, a new worry is the possibility of a greater-than-expected deceleration in the consumption side of the economy. The sales of two-wheelers already indicate a slowdown, and moreover recent quarterly results of discretionary consumer companies indicate a similar deceleration. 

Interestingly, India's biggest fast food restaurant chains like McDonald’s, Jubilant Foodworks (which run Domino’s Pizza) have reported slower growth in same-store sales during April-June than earlier quarters. The trend is also apparent in the other consumer discretionary space ranging from paints to lifestyle retail chains to jewellery during the first quarter of the current fiscal (2012-13). Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Mobile commerce catching up in non-urban areas

NEW DELHI : Online purchasing through mobile phones is catching up fast in non-urban and rural areas.

According to eCommerce firm eBay India, the ratio between rural and urban buyers would be 1:10 right now but it may go up to 6:10 over next two years. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

What Slowdown? Indian Consumers Are Still Spending

Thirty two-year-old banker Chiragi Kothari recently bought the latest Apple iPhone and then went on a 22-day European holiday with her family in July.

The Mumbai resident tells CNBC that she now plans to visit tropical getaway Mauritius with her husband in the next two to three months.

Kothari is one among many urban, upper middle class Indians who have not cut back on spending despite a slowing economy and rising prices. From entertainment to holidays and spa treatments, many Indians are still indulging themselves. Read more

Source : www.cnbc.com

Madurai rallies to fight diabetes

MADURAI : The resolve to dare diabetes came at the inauguration of three-day education-cum-public awareness event, 'Diabetes 2012'

Madurai Mayor V.V.Rajan Chellappa visiting the diet stalls for diabetes at the 'Diabetes 2012' exhibition in Madurai on Friday. Photo: G. Moorthy

The temple city on Friday rallied in one voice to fight diabetes as expert doctors gave a clarion call to people of all ages to treat diabetes as a permanent enemy which should be tackled with urgency. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com