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Dr Monica strikes another award at the Economic Times Business Leaders 2019 Awards held on 23rd October. She won the award for the Best Skincare clinic, Best Cosmetologist, Best Obesity Clinic and Best Anti-aging Physician. She was awarded by Kabir Bedi prominent and popular actor.

Dr Monica Jacob is one of the top celebrity cosmetologists in India. Well, not just a cosmetologist but an Aesthetic Physician, Nutrition Expert and a fit mom. Her expertise lies in anti-aging procedures like Botox, Fillers, Thread lift, PRP Hair Treatment, Platinum Stem Cell Therapy, HIFU Fractionated high-intensity ultrasound, Mesotherapy, weight management with HCG Diet, Radiofrequency, advance LED Facials and Peels and various advance lasers for rejuvenation, acne, tattoo removal,  hair reduction, face and body contouring. 

Recently she has also launched her supplements namely, Age Defy, Crystalite Tomato, Alight and Hair Kit. These supplements consist of unique blend of vitamins and anti-oxidants which help in improving the quality of skin, hair and body. For the same she has won an award in August 2019 by Times Health and Wellness as Best Aesthetic and Antiaging Physician and for her range of antioxidants by the name MJ Skin Health. 

She has won numerous awards for her excellent work in her field. Bodyz Wellness has been mentioned among the Top 50 Best Wellness Companies in the global listing from World Health and World Congress, Achievers Awards as the Best Cosmologist in 2013.

She was also awarded as the Best Cosmetologist by the Indian Leadership Conclave

The journey of success continues to grow for Dr Monica. Her mantra for success is hard work, gratitude, commitment and consistency.

Half of India’s adolescents (10 to 19 years) – almost 63 million girls and 81 million boys – are not healthy. They are either short, thin, overweight or obese. Almost all adolescents in India have unhealthy or poor diets. This is the main cause for all forms of malnutrition.

These are the findings of a report on adolescents released by NITI Aayog and UNICEF India. Over 80 percent of adolescents also suffer from ‘hidden hunger’ which means deficiency of one or more micronutrients such as iron, folate, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and vitamin D, according to the report ‘Adolescents, Diets and Nutrition: Growing Well in a Changing World’, based on the recently released Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS).

The CNNS data set provides new insights into all types of macronutrient and micronutrient malnutrition, dietary habits, life skill behaviours, access to services (school, health and nutrition) and physical activity throughout adolescence (10-19 years) for both girls and boys. This is the first thematic analysis of the wealth of CNNS data that provides important insights on the lives of India’s adolescents.

According to the report, fruits and eggs are consumed daily by less than 10 per cent of boys and girls while over 25 percent of adolescents reported no consumption of green leafy vegetables even once a week. Milk products are consumed by 50 percent of adolescents daily.

Growing incomes and increased spending on food has translated to greater consumption of fried foods, junk foods, sweets and aerated drinks. Today, 10 to 19-year-olds in every Indian state face an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Adolescent girls especially suffer multiple nutritional deprivations. The report finds more girls suffer from shortness than boys. Anaemia affects 40 percent of adolescent girls, compared to 18 per cent of boys, and worsens as they get older.

The report suggests focusing on adolescent girls, before they become mothers, is critical to break India’s intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. One of the goals of POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is to reduce anaemia among adolescent girls by 3 per cent per year. Ensuring that school and community-based interventions reach all is essential to achieve this goal.

CNNS gives important programme insights on strengthening school-based services. Schools are a cross-sectoral platform to address good nutrition – diets, services and behaviours. This is especially important for the early adolescent age-range (10-14 years), as 85 per cent of this age-group is enrolled in school. 

The findings reveal that nearly 25 percent of girls and boys do not receive any of the four school-based services (mid-day meal, biannual health check-ups, biannual deworming and weekly iron folic acid supplementation). Addressing this gap will be critical to addressing early adolescent nutrition issues.

The report also recognizes the how important it is that meals and snacks at home be nutritious. Campaigns on healthy food choices should be centred around the promotion of a variety of items in appropriate proportions at home.

Risks for non-communicable diseases are established in childhood and adolescence. For example, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension among adolescents is increasing. The second decade of life (10 to 19 years), is therefore critical to intervene in early adolescence to prevent such diseases.

All girls and boys are unable to meet the 60 minutes per day recommended outdoor sports and exercise time. On an average, girls in late adolescence spend only 10 minutes per day on such activities. Boys do relatively better, with exercise time of 40 to 50 minutes per day.

The report recommends that adolescents themselves be supported as mobilizers and co-implementers at schools and other platforms they access, to spread the right nutrition messages to aid India’s Jan Andolan to end malnutrition.

With the POSHAN Abhiyaan now in its second year, the timing is right to strengthen nutrition interventions for “would be mothers and fathers” to prevent the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition, the report says.

A new study has warned that all may not be well with tiger reserves in the country. It has found that even while they were good at protecting animals, their vegetation condition was far from being satisfactory. The study, which used open-source satellite data, has reported a drastic decline in vegetation, with extensive drying of forests inside tiger reserves, thus raising question marks on their long-term viability. 

Governments declare reserved forests as national parks or wildlife sanctuaries with focus on one or the other top animal species such as tiger or lion or elephant on the assumption that protecting the flagship species would indirectly help protect the ecosystem as a whole. They invest heavily in resources and financial support to manage protected areas. Tiger reserves particularly get extra attention. 

Usually, the effectiveness of managing the protected areas is assessed based on the successful protection of the focus species. In the new study, the researchers decided to tread a different path and sought to ascertain their effectiveness in preserving their vegetation. They selected 25 tiger reserves from across the country and compared the status of vegetation before and after they were declared as protected areas. 

The researchers used Landsat 5 TM satellite time series data between 1984–2012 and analyzed on the Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform to calculate vegetation indices. Forest vegetation health is usually measured using vegetation indices such as enhanced vegetation index and normalized difference infrared index. 

The researchers found that the vegetation had declined by more than 50% in 13 tiger reserves and by 25 percent to 50 percent in 8 reserves since they were declared as protected areas. 

Speaking to India Science Wire, Dr.Krithi Karanth of the Centre for Wildlife Studies, a member of the research team, said “we evaluate how protected areas are performing by typically focusing on the numbers of the animals living there. We need to widen the scope for how we measure effectiveness. The finding of our study strongly argues that there is a need to change the way in which the protected areas of the country are managed”.

Asked whether the findings did not contradict the Indian State of Forest Report 2017, which had reported an increase in forest cover in very dense forest followed by open forest, the researchers said the finding of this study was not directly comparable with that report because there was a difference between forest cover and forest condition. Forest cover is about how much forest was there and it was measured in terms of the area that was forested. It is more like a measure of “quantity” or “amount” of forest. Forest vegetation condition, in contrast, is about the health or condition of forest vegetation. Change in vegetation condition can be due to many reasons, including planting or selective harvest, and changes in vegetation composition due to altered ecological process in response to global change, they said. 

Lead author, Pradeep S. Koulgi, said the findings can be considered as an eye-opener as it reveals a blind-spot in a generic protected area management approach. “Conservation and management of our protected areas can benefit from continuous scientific and independent evaluations of multiple essential biodiversity and habitat factors,” he said. 

The findings of the study have been published in the Scientific Reports journal. The research team included Nicholas Clinton of Google Inc besides Pradeep S. Koulgi, and Krithi K. Karanth. (India Science Wire)

A new analysis based on the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) developed by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) has shown that an average citizen living in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region could lose about seven years of life expectancy because the air quality in the area failed to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline for fine particulate pollution. 

Announcing the findings, researchers associated with the study said the huge impact on life expectancy was due to a 72 percent increase in pollution from 1998 to 2016 in the region. In 1998, the impact on people’s lives would have been half of what it is today, with residents losing a lower 3.7 years of life expectancy.

“Air pollution is a challenge through much of India. However, the high levels of particulate pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain region, which includes Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, stand out,” researchers said. In 1998, citizens living outside of the region would have seen their lives cut short by 1.2 years relative to what it would have been if air quality met the WHO guideline. That number has grown to 2.6 years—also worsening but much more modest than what has happened in the IGP, they said.

The findings were announced at a programme here today where the full platform of the Index was made accessible in Hindi. 

The researchers have also found that if India succeeded in meeting its goals under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and achieved sustaining pollution reductions of about 25 percent, it could help extend the life expectancy of an average Indian by 1.3 years and those living in the IGP by about 2 years.  (India Science Wire)

A new report by the World Health Organization offers guidance and tools for urban leaders to tackle some of the leading causes of death in cities.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – like heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes – kill 41 million people worldwide every year, and road traffic crashes kill 1.35 million.

“Over half the world’s people live in cities, and the numbers are rising,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“City leaders take decisions that impact on the health of billions, and for cities to thrive, everyone needs access to services that will improve their health – public transport, safe, clean and attractive outdoor spaces, healthy food, and, of course, affordable health services.” The report, titled ‘The Power of Cities: Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases and Road Traffic Injuries’ is geared towards mayors, local government officials and city policy planners.

Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, it highlights key areas where city leaders can tackle the drivers of NCDs, including tobacco use, air pollution, poor diets and lack of exercise, and improve road safety.

“By replicating the most effective measures on a global scale, we can save millions of lives,” said WHO Global Ambassador for NCDs and injuries, and three-term New York City Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg.

“We’re working to raise awareness among city leaders and policy makers about the real gains that can be achieved when effective programs are in place.”

From anti-tobacco actions in Beijing and Bogor, to road safety initiatives in Accra and Bangkok, a bike sharing scheme in Fortaleza, and actions to create walkable streets for seniors that have reduced elderly pedestrian deaths by 16% in New York City, the report aims to share knowledge between urban policy planners.

Of the 19 case studies cited, 15 are from developing countries, where 85% of premature adult deaths through NCDs take place, and over 90% of road traffic fatalities are recorded. Over 90% of future urban population growth will be in low or middle-income countries, and seven of the world’s 10 largest cities are in developing countries.

The initiatives cited in the report are similar to those implemented under the Partnership for Healthy Cities initiative, a joint WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Vital Strategies initiative that brings over 50 cities together to share policies and plans on tackling NCDs and injuries.

The network, led by Mr Bloomberg, has helped ensure 216 million people are covered by at least one intervention to protect them from NCDs and road traffic injury since 2017.

Some 193 countries have committed to reducing premature deaths from NCDs by a third by 2030, and halving road traffic deaths and injuries by 2020, through the Sustainable Development Goals.

A new study has highlighted that Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), the grassroots level health workers, can deliver care for non-communicable diseases also if they were provided with appropriate training and were paid adequately.

At present, though ASHAs are identified as part of the National Program for Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes, Cancer, and Stroke at the policy level, they are not recognized as part of its formal service delivery team on the ground. 

The study found that ASHAs feel overburdened, as they are work as part-time volunteers in the health system and deliver several activities under the programme on top of their routine primary care workload, without receiving remuneration for the non-communicable disease – related activities. The George Institute for Global Health conducted the study in Andhra Pradesh.

Lead author of the study, Marwa Abdel-All, said the study has also highlighted the importance of monitoring and support, with evaluation and career development options for ASHAs. “We found adequate recognition and integration of the community health workers into the health system, functional infrastructure, and clear role description to be key enablers to optimize their efficiency. The central government should commit itself towards the development and capacity building of ASHAs for non-communicable disease control”, she added.

Prof Vivek Jha, Executive Director of The George Institute India said, “as the range of services provided by ASHAs expands, there will be a debate on whether to increase their numbers or to create a separate cadre specific to non-communicable diseases. However, in empowering ASHAs for more responsibilities, knowledge, and skills, it is important that they get remunerated for the services and continue to be embedded in the community so that they leverage the strong relationship that is necessary to effectively provide healthcare across the life course”. The study results have been published in the journal Human Resources for Health. (India Science Wire)

Famous Youtuber Mohammed Abdullah Al Araimi is moving ahead to India for his upcoming short movie which he will work with Indian Talents. Mohammed Abdullah today owns one of the top YouTube channels in the world with maximum views and likes also making him a digital sensation. His content truly is the king of the digital market with maximum viewers generated.

He is the top-rated YouTuber and an ace fashion and lifestyle photographer who also is a travel junkie this time get a lens for India.

He has travelled to a number of destinations like Los Angeles, San Diego, Spain, Greece etc and is currently busy shooting for her upcoming short film based on India naming ‘New India’ which will be out later this year. He states that ‘India is one of my most favourite countries and it would give me tremendous joy and pleasure to make a movie in the country.

His journey has not been an easy one having to face a number of hurdles but leaving no stone unturned. He had an aim and was on to complete it by any means making him one of the top YouTuber in the world.

He soon will be shooting for a short film Vibrant India and Young India in where the streets and the culture of this country will be put forth in an extraordinary manner.

He today owns one of the top YouTube channels in the world with maximum views and likes also making him a digital sensation. His content truly is the king of the digital market with maximum viewers generated.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Araimi is the top-rated YouTuber and an ace fashion and lifestyle photographer who also is a travel junkie this time get a lens for India.

NEW DELHI: As more than 20 European Union MPs visited Jammu and Kashmir – the first international group to do so since the government ended special status to the state – the organiser of the event is in the spotlight. Letters inviting the MPs went from Madi Sharma, who describes herself on Twitter as a Social Capitalist, International Business Broker and Education Entrepreneur.

The visit, described as private, is sponsored by the International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies, a think tank, according to Madi Sharma’s letters. Its office in Delhi was locked this morning.

Madi Sharma was present when the European MPs met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Monday. NDTV has accessed her email exchanges with Liberal Democrat MP Chris Davies, who alleges he was dropped from the visit after he asked for unfettered access in Kashmir.

“I am organising a prestigious VIP meeting with the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi and it is my privilege to offer this invitation to you. As you will be aware Prime Minister Modi had a land slide victory in the recent elections in India and is planning to continue on his path of growth and development for India the country and its people. In that respect, he would like to meet influential decision makers from the European Union,” wrote Madi Sharma in a letter on October 7.

The mail said the meeting with the Prime Minister “is scheduled for October 28, the visit to Kashmir on 29 and a press conference the next day (today)”.

“The visit will be of a small group of cross party, pan European politicians on a three-day visit (flight and accommodations will be covered and are sponsored by the International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies). Your participation will be as our VIP guest and not in an official capacity as a delegation of Members of the European Parliament,” said the mail from Ms Sharma.

Mr Davies wrote back the next day that he was happy to accept the invite “on the condition that during my time in Kashmir I shall be free or go wherever I wish, and talk to whoever I wish, unaccompanied by military, police or security forces, but accompanied by journalists and television crews.” He asked for a guarantee in writing.

Ms Sharma replied that a “little security” may be necessary and also suggested that they meet for further discussions.

Mr Davies said when he tried to fix this appointment, he was told he could not be included in the group travelling to India.

“I apologise that I cannot take any more MEPS at this stage and therefore I will cancel our meeting for Thursday… ,” Ms Sharma wrote in an email on October 10.

Mr Davies claimed he was barred because he had asked to be allowed to move around freely and speak to local people. “I am not prepared to take part in a PR stunt for the Modi government and pretend that all is well. It is very clear that democratic principles are being subverted in Kashmir, and the world needs to start taking notice,” he said.

Speaking to NDTV, Mr Davies said he found the invite very unusual. “It would seem that they have government approval and they are trying to ensure that the government’s message is communicated,” he said.

“Will the Prime Minister tell as to who is Madi Sharma? Why and in what capacity is Madi Sharma fixing an appointment of Prime Minister with a delegation of EU MPs on a personal visit and why is Government of India facilitating it? Where is the money to finance the entire trip coming from? Why has Ministry of External Affairs been totally sidelined? The truth is that this is the biggest diplomatic blunder in India’s history,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

Twenty-three European Union MPs toured Srinagar on Tuesday and addressed select media today. They travelled in bullet-proof vehicles with heavy security, stayed in a five-star hotel and interacted with army officials and some local leaders. The roads were deserted and shops were shut.

This is the first such visit since the government announced the end of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and split the state into two union territories. Alongside the surprise announcement, hundreds of politicians in the state were detained and a security and communication lockdown was enforced to avoid any violence or protests.

Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi – whose delegation was turned back from the Srinagar airport – have questioned why European lawmakers were allowed amid such restrictions but opposition politicians in India were not.

AFP has reported that the European Parliament and European Union hierarchy were not involved in this visit. Several European embassies in Delhi were unaware of the visit until Monday, the agency reported. It also quoted an unnamed EU official in India as saying the visit was not official and the lawmakers had come at the invitation of an NGO.

Source – NDTV

Capsaicin, an active ingredient of chilli, is known to have anti-obesity or fat reducing properties. Now Indian scientists have figured out how this property of capsaicin can enhance the effect of obesity-related hormones.

Researchers of CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) here have found that capsaicin – the hot factor present in chillies – could increase the effect of obestatin and thus help reduce fat in the body. Obestatin is a hormone that sends ‘stop eating’ signals.  

The hormone, produced in the digestive system, affects food intake by signaling through the brain. It affects accumulation of glycerolipids through what biochemists term as PPAR-gamma signaling.  It is one of the many satiety factors that send messages to the brain saying the belly is full. The capsaicin seems to increase the effect of obestatin, explained Dr. Uma V. Manjappara, the lead scientist.

Capsaicin helps reduce fat by goading cells to increase secretion of catecholamines, which bind to the proteins called beta-adrenergic receptors that trigger higher rate of metabolism.  This triggers browning of adipose tissue, thus reducing the obesity.  Hence, it is also considered a nutraceutical or a beneficial drug in the food.

“We thought that if both the hormone and nutraceuticals are fed together, the latter can act in unison with obestatin and enhance the fat digestion further,” said Dr. Manjappara.  This premise was tested in cultured fat cells called 3T3-L1 cells which are generally used in studying obesity. 

The team cultured 3T3-L1 cells in the presence of either obestatin or obestatin along with capsaicin and genistein.  Genistein is another nutraceutical that is present in soya bean and that affects fat accumulation. The team compared the effects of capsaicin and genistein with or without obestatin after 14 days for various parameters like proportion of cells completing their growth to adipocytes and accumulation of triglycerides.

“Fourteen days are required for the immature fat cells to grow and become mature fat cells,” says Dr. Uma. The team also studied activity of lipases, a class of enzymes that is involved in the digestion of fats.  Capsaicin and genistein are known to increase the production of hormone sensitive lipase, lipoprotein lipase and the production of the PPAR-gamma proteins. 

“In all the experiments, the ability of both capsaicin and genistein to increase the production of hormone sensitive lipase, lipoprotein lipase and the upregulation of the PPAR-gamma receptor were seen. This means effect of both additives is beneficial. But when capsaicin or genistein were added along with obestatin, the amount of triglycerides produced in the cells were 20-25 percent lower than when obestatin alone is used,” explained Dr Manjappara. 

The combination seems to work better than obestatin alone or either of the nutraceuticals.  Why is it so is still a not well understood? However, ‘that the capsaicin and genistein could still increase the level of lipases in the cells could be the reason that extra fat was metabolized in cells with these two additives’, says Dr. Manjappara.

The research findings were published in a recent issue of journal Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics. The team consisted of Dr. Uma Manjappara and her student Musunuru Suneel Kumar Reddy. (India Science Wire)