Health trends for 2018

The New Year has begun and with it, new workout regimes, diets, health gadgets and apps will once again create buzz over the next 12 months. On the other hand, some traditional ones will find less takers and begin to fade away. What piques our curiosity are the new ones to make waves and the existing ones that are here to stay and grow stronger, thus helping improving our lives. We asked some experts what health trends they predict for 2018. Also, what changes they would like to occur and not happen as well. 

Karishma Chawla
Nutritionist, Eat Rite 24x7 

With more and more awareness in the fitness industry, I’m hopeful 2018 will be a healthier year since fitness enthusiasts are willing to unlearn to learn the basics of nutrition and how to adopt these in their daily lifestyle to achieve a fitter body. There are few concerns one must drop to understand the basics of optimal health:

• Adopting fad diets or a market trend to lose weight quickly.
   
• Using charcoal to cleanse their bodies.
   
• Protein deficient or low carb plans to achieve faster weight loss aka muscle loss.
   
• Letting weighing scale define fitness levels.
   
• Skip meals to feel lighter and believe it’s going to lead to fat loss.
   
• Consuming super foods highly advertised in the market.
   

I wish to see a more educated population who understand that there is no shortcut to optimal health. A large number of people are not willing to spend on supplements that are essential for optimal health. But those  very same people are willing to spend that kind of money on entertainment, forgetting a fitter you will only help you enjoy life better!

People are sceptical of consuming supplements like whey without knowing its true nature. Whey is a milk product. But are merrily consuming alcohol, which is a foreign body to the liver stressing it to work harder to metabolise it.
 
There are fitness enthusiasts who are into intense workout without a tailored diet plan thinking they’re going to achieve their fitness goals. The thumb rule is 70 per cent diet and 30 per cent exercise. I would redefine that as 40 per cent motivation, 40 per cent diet and 20 per cent exercise. There is this whole idea of eating what you want and then burning it in the gym next day. The fat expenditure only comes from the stored fat and not what you have just eaten. Empty calories consumed will still be stored procrastinating fitness goals.
 
There is this myth that people with Thyroid and PCOS cannot lose weight! While it might just take a little more time for such clients to reach their goals in comparison to people without these complications. But to believe that it is a challenge, is highly incorrect. Women still think they can get bulky with weight training, the fact is, women do not carry that much testosterone to reach muscle hypertrophy. I wish there is enough awareness so that such myths are dropped and people take the responsibility and think smartly that a diet is not a quick fix but a lifestyle disciplinary action. 

Shalini Bhargava
Director, JG’s Fitness Centre

Pilates and Yoga are definitely going to boom. Because people are realising the importance of core strengthening, proper posture and stability, mobility of joints, therapeutic benefits of yoga. Dance fitness programs and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) programs will continue to stay as they are fun and effective.

Changes I wish to see... more and more people engaging in some activity. Proper weight training techniques, specially for males so as to avoid injuries. Focus much more on stretching. Plus, eat healthy. More and more trainers get education and certification. One would definitely not want injuries so workouts like Crossfit have to be done carefully.

Seema Hingorrany
Clinical psychologist and trauma therapist

I personally feel that in 2018, more awareness will be generated about mental health. More people will come to a psychologist to understand their mind and not suffer anymore. It will be a year of transformation and healing. I wish from the bottom of my heart that more people open their hearts and talk about their experiences, sessions and therapy. By doing so, we will erase the social stigma attached to taking help where Depression and other mental disorders are concerned. Hopefully, more and more celebs will come forward to talk about mental health issues. That will really help generate more insights which is very much needed.

I wish that more addictions or substance abuse  should not happen. I wish that break-ups in relationships reduce, with people living in harmony and peace. People should reduce their competitive streak among each other which can help reduce stress at work place.

Dr Tilak Suvarna
Senior interventional cardiologist, Asian Heart Institute

We need better tests to tell us about an individual’s risk of having a heart attack in the near future. This will lead to an earlier adoption of measures to prevent one.

At present, we have drugs to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood but they have some side effects. We need more powerful and safer drugs to reduce the cholesterol levels, thus minimising the risk of heart attacks and death. I believe these drugs are likely to be available in India next year.

We want improved stent technology to reduce the chances of recurrent heart blockages. Hope to see this technology to reduce the need to be on blood thinners for a long time. Devices for monitoring of parameters of heart failure patients are required, which will help in better management of such patients leading to fewer re-hospitalisations and improved survival.

In 2018, we can also expect smaller pacemakers and other implantable devices coming in the Indian market. This will help to improve the quality of life of patients. I also see an increased adoption of digital health and mobile technology solutions for better disease management and improved communication between patients and care-givers.

Dr Pradeep Gadge
diabetologist, Gadge Diabetes Centre

For managing a chronic disease like diabetes, you need to monitor frequently and newer modalities like CGMS (Continuous Glucose Monitoring System) are helping. 

I hope monitoring and more aggressive treatment will be the immediate prediction for 2018 and that’s the need of the hour. Presently, monitoring status in our country is pathetic. Patients don’t often go to laboratories and frequent monitoring at home with glucometers is not in fashion in our country. A major reason for this is the cost of glucometer strips. The manufacturing cost is hardly 50 paise and these strips are sold at `20 to 25 per strip.

One change I wish immediately happens in 2018 is capping the price of glucometer strips. This way, monitoring and early detection of diabetes will become common and a lot of complications can be prevented at a later stage.
  
Right now, when a doctor checks vital signs of a patient it is all about “temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and blood pressure.” I strongly feel that as India is fast becoming the diabetes capital of the world “HGT (Haemo-Glucose Testing)” should be a part of vitals in India.

One change I wish does not happen is about misguiding advertisements about stem cell transplant. Parents fall prey to such advertisements and spend lakhs on this therapy. In future, stem cell may provide a cure for diabetes, but as off now, it is not approved.

Dr Ramen Goel
Senior bariatric surgeon, Director, Center of  Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery, Wockhardt Group of Hospitals

I believe 2018 will be a turning point with enhanced recognition of role of bariatric surgery in disease(s) remission by society at large. Simultaneous developments in endoscopic interventions for obesity management are expected to dominate in the coming years. There is increasing awareness that obesity is a disease, and people are preferring a minimally invasive approach to obesity. 

These non-surgical techniques, if proven effective, are likely to become standard of care shortly. It is now realised that metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes are related to unhealthy intestinal (gut) bacteria. My wish for 2018 is that this hypothesis is proven correct and people realise the importance of optimal gut balance to attain weight loss. This is probably one of the most effective solution on the horizon for large scale control of obesity epidemic.
 
People should realise the transformational impact of bariatric surgery on lives of operated patients. Bariatric surgery is now accepted as a safe and effective procedure for morbid obesity and continued training and quality controls are essential to achieve that. Every individual with a disease which can be resolved with a 30-40 minute keyhole surgery should be aware of a possible bariatric option and its benefits.

Obesity could sometimes be a genetic problem and that’s the reason why medical technology is giving us the best possible ways to combat this disease. However, there’s also the other side, where non-physiological technological devices like Aspire Assist are being introduced. Here, a person can eat well and empty the stomach after a meal through a devise installed in stomach. Such interventions are undesirable and indirectly places burden of guilt on the person’s head.