PM Modi picks 10 heavyweights to lead fight against obesity

NEW DELHI: PM Modi on Monday nominated 10 persons from different walks of life, including J&K CM 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 to help strengthen the fight against obesity and spread awareness on reducing edible oil consumption in food. I request them to nominate 10 people each so that our movement gets bigger," Modi wrote on X.
Olympians shooter Manu Bhaker and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, actor R Madhavan, singer Shreya Ghoshal, philanthropist and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty and Bhojpuri singer-actor Nirahua were the other personalities nominated by the PM.
Making a strong pitch for fighting obesity, Modi in his 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast on Sunday urged people to use less oil in food and pass on the challenge of reducing oil intake by 10% to 10 others.

Omar, who said he was happy to join PM's campaign, also nominated 10 persons to join it. They are 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 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% less cooking oil can build up to big contributions; be it to your well-being, to your wallet, or to a healthier world," Mahindra posted on X. He 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 industrialist 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 & 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.
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who won silver at 2021 Tokyo Olympics, wrote on X, "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."