This word means: Sundays on Cycle
WHY NOW?
Sunday (June 1) marked the 25th edition of the Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative, which was dedicated as a tribute to India's armed forces under the banner of the 'Tiranga Rally' in multiple cities.
Over 1,200 cyclists participated in the rally at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi, led by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya.
Fit India Sundays on Cycle is a nationwide fitness initiative to combat obesity. Launched in 2024 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the campaign aims to promote cycling as a sustainable, inclusive, and eco-friendly form of exercise.
As normal physical movement becomes limited and the dependency on food and grocery delivery apps increases for a section of the urban population, getting regular exercise has become a challenge. Cycling comes in here as a budget-friendly, high-impact form of exercise that not only improves cardiovascular health and boosts mental well-being but also addresses the risks of youth obesity.
Since its launch, the initiative has been held at over 5,000 locations, with participation from more than 3 lakh people. One can participate through a simple registration process on the MyBharat and Fit India website and mobile app.
Several Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres and Khelo India Centres (KICs) now host a variety of fitness activities during Sundays on Cycle events. These include Zumba, rope skipping, guided yoga sessions, and free health check-ups conducted by experts from the National Centre of Sports Sciences and Research (NCSSR).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent Mann Ki Baat address, emphasised the need for nationwide awareness and collective action to reduce obesity, particularly through reducing edible oil consumption.
India is grappling with a silent yet serious health crisis. Once seen as an issue limited to urban lifestyles (although still concentrated there), obesity has now spread across all sections of society, cutting across age groups, genders, and income levels.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), obesity is a chronic complex disease defined by excessive fat deposits that can impair health. On the other hand, being overweight is a condition of excessive fat deposits.
The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21) stated that over 24 per cent of Indian women and 23 per cent of Indian men are obese. Of greater concern is the rising number of children under the age of five who are now classified as overweight. A Lancet study earlier this year found that in 2021, India had overtaken China to become the country with the largest number of overweight and obese older adolescents, aged between 15 and 24.
This growing trend is largely driven by unhealthy eating habits, sedentary routines, and a sharp decline in physical activity — all increasingly common in modern Indian lifestyles. High levels of sugar, salt and food items are a matter of concern, especially as the MNCs producing them have shifted from high-income to low- and middle-income countries.
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