New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday nominated 10 persons from different walks of life, including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, businessman Anand Mahindra and actor Mohanlal, to help fight obesity, a day after he exhorted people to take measures to curb the health menace.
“I would like to nominate the following people to help strengthen the fight against obesity and spread awareness on reducing edible oil consumption in food. I also request them to nominate 10 people each so that our movement gets bigger,” Modi posted on X.
Bhojpuri singer-actor Nirahua, Olympians shooter Manu Bhaker and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, actor R Madhavan, singer Shreya Ghoshal and philanthropist and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty were the other personalities nominated by the prime minister.
Making a strong pitch for fighting obesity, Modi in his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast on Sunday urged people to use less oil in food and also pass on the challenge of reducing oil intake by 10 per cent to 10 others.
Omar Abdullah said he was happy to join the campaign against obesity launched by Prime Minister Modi.
The chief minister also nominated 10 persons to join the campaign.
“Obesity causes a number of lifestyle-related health issues such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, strokes and breathing problems, not to mention mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Today I’m nominating these 10 people to join the PM’s campaign against obesity and requesting them to nominate a further 10 people each to take this fight forward,” Abdullah wrote on X.
Among those nominated by Abdullah were Biocon managing director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, businessman Sajjan Jindal, actor Deepika Padukone, former tennis player Sania Mirza, ex-cricketer Irfan Pathan, MP Supriya Sule and former wushu player Kuldeep Handoo.
Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra said to achieve the mission of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, “we not only need a strong economy, but a healthy population as well”.
“Making small changes like using even 10 per cent less cooking oil can build up to big contributions; be it to your well-being, to your wallet, or to a healthier world. Thank you, PM @narendramodi, for your call to action,” Mahindra posted on X.
The businessman nominated actors Anil Kapoor and Gul panag, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, India’s first chess grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand, and ace badminton player P V Sindhu to take forward the campaign. Nilekani said apart from a range of health-related benefits, reduced use of edible oil will also strengthen the nation’s economy by cutting dependence on imports and saving valuable resources.
“In addition to dietary changes, I have also incorporated daily exercise to keep obesity and related issues in check,” he said.
Nilekani nominated Goenka group chairman Harsh Goenka, chef Ritu Dalmia, Myntra founder Mukesh Bansal, and Kotak Mahindra Bank director Uday Kotak, among others, for the campaign.
Sudha Murthy nominated fellow parliamentarian and former Olympian P T Usha, ex-cricketers Anil Kumble and Venkatesh Prasad, former top cop and governor Kiran Bedi and author Amish Tripathi, among others.
Wightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who won the silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, also took to X to thank the prime minister for nominating her.
“Elated to be nominated by PM @narendramodi_in ji to spread awareness in the fight against obesity. Making small changes to our daily lives can result in a huge transformation all over the country and help us move towards achieving our dream of making a fit India,” she wrote.
Chanu nominated reigning world chess champion D Gukesh, paralympian Avani Lekhara, former shooter Gagan Narang, and star shuttler P V Sindhu, among others, for the campaign.
