Breast Cancer Walk

With about 300 other people, I went on a 2K breast cancer awareness walk this morning. I enjoyed it because I had often participated in the 5K Race for the Cure in DC, so continuing something similar in India had a reassuring feel to it.

I'm not sure what the point was, though, aside from inviting local press and hoping that coverage increases awareness. No registration fee, no raising money, nothing except people walking a mere 2K (no running option either).

Honestly, were I to pick a medical problem here worthy of an organized money-raising walk, I would choose diabetes. The number of people with Type II diabetes is staggering; one newspaper article I read estimated that 1/3 of the young techies / call center-ites in HYD have Type II. With these people in the 25-35 age range, that will be a huge public health problem as they continue to age. Plus, this demographic works at night (to match the US schedule) and lives in "hostels" - neither of which are conducive to eating well or exercising.

Overweight and obese people are also prevalent amongst the middle class. I've been told this is a common phenomenon in countries with significant poor populations - people are so proud of themselves that they can provide well for their family, they eat all the fattening foods not understanding the subsequent health implications. I understand the logic, but when it translates into diabetes and heart disease on a wide scale, I think the need for public education campaign is high.

An anecdote on our small scale. When Shabu (Sarwary's sister) started working for us, too, she asked why we had chapatti (tortilla-like bread made with just wheat flour and water) rather than puri (deep fried bread). Sarwary explained that Western people think too much oil is unhealthy, which is also why she uses less oil in the kitchen. Shabu thought this over for a bit and then said, "but they can afford the oil!"