Healthy food is the fuel for our overall well-being and provides us with energy for action, growth, consolidation, and healing. However, in reality, we often lose our will to eat healthy to the temptation of eating junk food. Today we are into eating foods that are deep-fried, oily, spicy, processed, half-cooked, canned with excessive proteins, artificial flavors, and carbonated soda drinks. The list continues!

So, we are eating foods either lured by our sense perceptions or guided by habits and it is difficult to change these habits. As a result, unhealthy food habits are creating vulnerability to diseases. Our susceptibility towards obesity, diabetes, cancers, heart diseases and strokes can be largely attributed to unhealthy food habits.

Since the first step towards change is awareness, followed by making conscious food choices and habits, the students of Future School of Hospital Management took the initiative of Good Health Festival 2019 on February 22. The theme of the event was Eat Smart. Be Smart, which aimed to spread awareness about the importance of a healthy diet and its impact on our lives. The concept and idea were spread interactive deliberations and innovative poster creation competition.

This event not only explored different aspects of food and diet consumption patterns but also engaged different cross-sections of society including doctors, nutritionists, healthcare professionals, actors, chefs, teachers, and students to collaborate and foster good food awareness. Major highlights from the event are given below:

Keynote Address by Dr. Saikat Maitra, Vice-Chancellor, MAKAUT

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In his keynote address, he emphasized the significance of our mindset and attitude towards raising the quality of our lives – “We are not taught the art of introspection in our education system. Everyone should know the strengths and the challenges of the choices we make and this applies to our food habits too.”

He also went on to explain the importance of a balanced diet and knowing the proportion of food consumption at different stages of life. He advised the younger generation to tap into the traditional knowledge base of good food practices.

Panel Discussion on Good Food for Healthy Living 

In this session, Dr. Sujoy Ghosh offered tips on healthy food habits and insights on popular food myths, basic principles of diet and energy balance. The relevance of food safety was taken up by Dr. Debnath Chaudhuri, Ex-Professor and Department Head of Biochemistry & Nutrition; All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health. The esteemed Dietitian, Ms. Paromita Das Dutta focused on the significance of mother’s nutrition, balanced food, and prevention of diseases with right food choices. The value of food hygiene and the right cooking condition was harped upon by the well-known Sous Chef of Taj Gateway, Mr. Biplab Chandra Mitra. The moderator of the panel discussion, Dr. Mousumi Ghosh, Founder Team Future established the context of the interaction and effectively navigated the discussion for the audience.

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Conversation with actress Paayel, Food & Fitness Icon

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Dr. Deepanjan Mitra, the eminent Nuclear Medicine Consultant interacted with celebrity actress Ms. Paayel Sarkar about the misconceptions of proper diet – “It is not about losing weight and starving yourself; it is about maintaining yourself.” They emphasized on balancing a healthy lifestyle, healthy diet and a healthy body along with good food habits to bring about a constructive transformation in our lives.

Felicitation of Padma Shri Dr. Mammen Chandy

Every year we felicitate the torchbearers who have made a phenomenal contribution towards the cause of humanity and healthcare. Their passion and dedication continue to inspire future generations and leave a footprint in our lives

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This year Padma Shri Dr. Mammen Chandy – Director Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata and a renowned Clinical Haematologist was felicitated by Dr. Chanchal Goswami, the Medical Director of the upcoming Future Oncology Hospital. In the previous years, Dr. Baidyanath Chakraborty and Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee honored us by receiving this felicitation during the health festival.

In his felicitation address, Dr. Mammen Chandy focused on the responsibility of youth – “As a nation which can be recognized all over the world, it’s dependent on young people to make a difference. Every one of you can add value to your work. Everybody, irrespective of their status, pedigree and designation is in a position to do their best.”

Poster Making Competition on Eat Smart. Be Smart

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The felicitation was followed by “The Poster Presentation Competition.” Art has always been a very effective and influential medium to bring about constructive transformation in society. At the Good Health Festival 2019, the students effectively used this medium through poster designs to spread good food awareness.

Students from different reputed colleges across Kolkata participated in this Poster Competition. We received a total number of 204 posters. 50 of those posters made way to the Festival Exhibition at the Future Campus. Top 10 finalists were shortlisted from that exhibition out of which finally 3 winners were awarded based on their creativity, ideation, content, and presentation of their thoughts behind the poster creation.

Alia Naushat, the first prize winner from George College won a Samsung Study Tab; Arnabi Chatterjee from GNIT won a Real Me C1 mobile as the second prize and the third prize winner Ayan Dirghang from Future School of Hospital Management won an Ambrane Power Bank. Our judges' panel comprised Ms. Aparna Roy, Head HR from Tata Medical Center, Kolkata and Prof. Debashruti Ganguly, HOD – Department of Hospital Management from GNIT.

Contribution towards a social cause

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Finally, this event rounded off with a CSR initiative from the students of Future School of Hospital Management in association with CRY-Child Rights and You. The students raised INR 70,000 and donated the amount to CRY to gift a nutritious Kitchen Garden for the malnourished children in Odisha.

CRY represented by Trina Chakrabarti, Regional Director (East), acknowledged the gesture with certificates and token gifts of appreciation to the students. In her address to the students, Ms. Trina observed – “Every rupee that you have contributed shows your support to the cause of child rights and that is our strength. It is a humbling experience because you know that so many people are with you in your bid to ensure that every child enjoys a happy, healthy and creative childhood.”

The entire event came to a full circle at this juncture with the realization that achieving holistic social wellness is an all-inclusive journey and this health fest is merely an initiation of this consciousness. Please read Stay Healthy.