The Protein Week 2019: Danone India leads a sensitization drive on muscle health for 100,000 corporate Indians
Hyderabad, July 29, 2019: Danone India, Arogya World India Trust and InBodyare on a mission to raise awareness around muscle health by positively changing attitudes and practices around consumption of protein rich diets and an active lifestyle. Through the initiative of The Protein Week 2019, Danone India and its partners aim to sensitise 100,000 working Indians through workshops on nutrition by experts and free muscle-health assessment at various corporates in India.
The Protein week initiative is celebrated annually from 24th July till 30th July, with the objective of creating mass awareness around the role of protein for healthy muscles, as protein deficiency continues to remain a major challenge in India.
In the run up to The Protein Week 2019,40,000 working Indians have already been sensitized across various corporates in Noida, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The initial findings of the muscle health assessment in Hyderabad shows that at least 6 out of 10 working professionals have poor muscle health due to protein deficiency. The numbers are more alarming in women, with 8 out of 10 working women diagnosed with poor muscle health.
Dr. Sesikeren, Former Director of NIN-ICMR said, “Proteins are essential at all stages of life, even after growth and development since we constantly lose protein through normal physiological losses and it needs to be replenished. The estimated daily requirement or the recommended daily intake of protein through food is 10 to 15% of the calories which works out to 0.8 to 1.0 Gm per Kg body weight. Loss of muscles leads to decreased strength and slow movements and a greater risk of falling particularly in older adults. The way to maintain the muscle health is to consume the required amount of good quality protein and be physically active.”
According to Dr. Nandan Joshi, Head – Nutrition Science and Medical Affairs at Danone India, “.The Protein Week initiative this year aims to sensitize corporate India on the need for the right protein intake to ensure good muscle health. Sedentary lifestyles and inadequate protein deficient diets are having a huge impact on the muscle health of the Indian workforce. A study by Inbody among Corporate professionals, indicates that64% of Indian workforce have low or poor muscle health. This is an area of concern when compared to most of the developed countries of the world, and we at Danone are committed to address this nutritional deficiency.”
Commenting at the initiative, Mr. Dawson Kim from InBody said “A study conducted by InBody last year indicated more than 70% of Indians have poor muscle health. Last year’s data supports the analysis done this year among working professionals and reveals that six out of ten working professionals have poor muscle health. There is an urgent need to ramp up efforts to sensitise people about importance of muscle health and role of protein in improving the same. We are glad that this year’s The Protein Week initiative had put the spotlight on India’s workforce who are most affected”.
According to Sumathi Rao, Country Manager, Arogya World, “. Arogya World India Trust is glad to be a part of The Protein Week initiative. This year The Protein Week aims to sensitize corporate India on the need for the right nutrition and its impact on their daily lives. Employees today in India have poor protein intake which is not only affecting their professional lives but also their personal live. It becomes pertinent to spread the word around protein and muscle health so that people can take necessary steps towards leading a healthy lifestyle.”
About Danone:
Dedicated to bringing health through food to as many people as possible, Danone is a leading global food & beverage company building on health-focused and fast-growing categories in three businesses: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based Products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition. With a presence in over 120 markets, Danone generated sales of approximately €24.7 billion in 2018. Danone started its nutrition business in India in 2012 through the acquisition of the nutrition portfolio from Wockhardt Group. Danone India embodies a holistic approach offering a full range of products for pregnant mothers, infants, young children as well as adults, under recognized brands like Aptamil, Neocate, Farex, Protinex, Dexolac and Nusobee.
About Arogya World Trust India
Arogya World India Trust was established as a separate legal entity on May 7, 2012. It is headquartered in Bangalore. Arogya World India Trust has received 80G and 12A clearance in India (non-profit). It is an incredible group of Trustees brings a broad range of perspectives to bear on improving the lives and livelihoods of the less fortunate, using technology to improve health, scaling up effective programs, and making impact.
About InBody
Founded in 1996 by Dr. Kichul Cha, Inbody is a multinational corporation headquartered in South Korea. The company has presence with branches and distributers in over 40 countries. Their mission is to provide bio-medical technology that simplifies the understanding of your health and wellness. Their products feature direct segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (DSM-BIA) and an eight-point tactile electrode system to measure an individual’s body composition without the use of empirical data.