India, like many other developing countries, is experiencing a rapid health transition. This means that health disorder like heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, mental illnesses, chronic lung diseases, accidents and injuries are becoming major public health problems even as we are getting better control of infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies. India tops the world list in terms of the disability burden due to heart and blood vessel diseases (more than all industrial countries put together!) and the death rates due to heart diseases are expected to double in another 25 years. India already is the diabetes capital of the world. This figure would increase 3 fold by 2025. High blood pressure is a rapidly increasing problem. Many of these are striking at a younger age, with many deaths in mid-life.

As we urbanise and change our patterns of eating and physical activity, more and more people in India are becoming over weight or obese-even at a young age. Indians have a tendency to accumulate fat in the abdomen (pot belly). This 'central obesity' predisposes to diabetes, heart attacks, abnormal blood fats and high blood pressure.

Much of this multiple diseases burden can be avoided by regular physical activity which keeps body weight and body fat in check and helps to prevent diseases. Since diagnosis and treatment of many of these disorders are very expensive and treatment lifelong, it is best to prevent them. Of all preventive methods, regular physical activity and avoiding tobacco are the least expensive and have multiple health benefits. Along with a balanced diet (low in salt and certain types of fats; high in fruit and vegetables), these can provide the best protection against many diseases.