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Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

Early start The Tank Bund and parks in the city are frequented by morning walkers

Andhra Pradesh leads in the number of diabetics and heart attacks at the age of 30 no longer raise eyebrows. Everyone wants to play it safe or at least give it a try. Almost everything sold in the market with the health tag has takers, from treadmills to protein shakes and muesli bars.

The change is apparent on all fronts. If the Hyderabad 10K Run had more than 25,000 participants, as personal trainer Faiyaz Ali points out, IT companies and colleges too have been organising their fitness runs. “An indicator to the growth in the fitness industry is the number of courses available in Hyderabad for certified trainers. When I took to this profession, I had to go to Mumbai to take an exam for trainers,” he says.

“There are more gyms today and more people eager to join. Those who’ve already been initiated into fitness are varying their workouts with activities like cycling, swimming and kickboxing to beat the monotony and to get better results,” says trainer Farzaan Merchant.

Walkers and joggers have been making use of any pocket of greenery in the neighbourhood. While some jog or walk around the sprawling apartment complexes, the blessed ones use the larger lung spaces. The line-up of cars at the various parking zones of the KBR Park on weekends can put the number of cars at a wedding ceremony to shame.

“People read up about fitness methods than following their trainers blindly. Also, television channels inform you about workouts, yoga, what to eat and what to avoid. I’ve seen a renewed interest in fitness among the 40-plus age group after Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om. Getting a six-pack takes more than six months. A regulated diet sans carbohydrates and definite workout patterns are necessary. It’s tough to maintain the six-pack as well. Short-cut methods can have adverse side effects, including heart problems,” explains Faiyaz.

Only next to the six-pack phenomenon is the popularity of dance. Reality shows showed the way and today, dance schools that teach salsa, jive, waltz and meringue have become as common as the kirana stores.

Laying your hands on whole wheat/oat and rye/multi-grain breads has never been this easy. Your neighbourhood supermarket now boasts of an exclusive counter for freshly baked whole-grain breads and buns. All foods branded and unbranded have upped their health quotient. Packaged fruit juices come in zero added sugar variants; there are multi-grain biscuits, low absorption cooking oils, a mind-boggling choice of muesli, oats and roasted, oil-free snacks. If curd made from skimmed milk wasn’t enough, pro-biotic and fruit curds made an entry.

Restaurants too cater to the calorie conscious. Whole grain rotis, vegan milkshakes, decaffeinated coffees, more salads and clear soups, steamed dosas, zero-sugar ice creams (that relies on its natural sugars from diary products and cocoa used),… the list doesn’t end there.

The bottomline is: fewer calories no longer mean compromising on taste.“My kids hated oats when I introduced it to them. Today, with oats available in flavours like strawberry, kesar and apple, oats porridge has become a delicious snack. My daughter equates it to kheer,” laughs Aparna Rajan, who works with an MNC.

Nutritionist Kavita Kabra foresees a massive change in the health food segment. She says working professionals who’ve moved to Hyderabad from other cities contribute to this change.

“Unfortunately, majority of the Telugu-speaking population is still resistant to change. Myths such as oranges can cause flu and tomatoes can lead to kidney stones still persist,” she says.

On a positive note, she says, “Supermarkets and restaurants are taking health food to the middle class. Kokum juice, aloe vera juice, green tea, soy milk, high-fibre snacks,… name it and it’s available. People are also reading up on health food and cannot be misguided.”

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