Celebrities Mohit Malik, Zakir Khan and Atul Khatri ask people to #TakeItLite this World Hypertension Day

by Suman Gupta

With tempers running high due to lockdown, small everyday moments such as the doorbell ringing or even the Wi-Fi not working can trigger a stress reaction. They say laughter is the best medicine and has proven to be the quickest way to lower blood pressure. With World Hypertension Day just around the corner, some of India’s biggest comedians Zakir Khan and Atul Khatri, along with TV’s favorite face Mohit Mailk shared humorous anecdotes of people in their lives losing their cool, in a bid to urge people to Take It Lite.

Mohit Malik, television’s beloved actor seen in the video with wife Aditee stated, “#TakeItLite is an important message for people to hear and know more about – now more than ever. We too learnt about the effects of anger on one’s well-being having seen a family member experience Hypertension, and ever since, we have been taking active steps to Hypertension in our families. Both me and Aditee try and follow a healthy lifestyle and keep a count on our sodium intake by consuming Tata Salt Lite™ which is a 15% low sodium salt.”

Ace comedian Zakir Khan said, “As a country and really as a generation, we’ve come to normalize being stressed and anxious, attributing these to unavoidable external factors. It’s time to actively look after ourselves to ensure overall well-being. To that, I truly believe humour is a subtle way to get the message across to people.   I resonate with the campaign because I have closely seen few people around me struggle with hypertension without realizing its early signs.  With this campaign, Tata Salt Lite™ – part of Tata’s trusted legacy – aims to encourage India to ease up and #TakeItLite.”

Atul Khatri, one of India’s most famous stand-up artist and a hypertension sufferer himself recounts, “I have been a sufferer of hypertension at one point of time in my life.  My family has seen me experience it and going through it and therefore, we are now more aware of how simple lifestyle interventions can help manage it. It can silently impact your health and do more damage that most of us are aware of. Looking at what you eat along with fitness is of utmost importance. Me and my entire family have switched to Tata Salt Lite™ which is a 15% low sodium salt, this really helps us manage our sodium intake on a daily basis.”

Kavita Devgan, Nutritionist, Tata Salt Lite said, “Hypertension amongst young people is growing at an alarming rate, but with a few smart food choices such as lowering your sodium intake and eating healthy, we can impede the growth of this ailment. Hypertension is often ignored and not diagnosed until it’s too late which is why preventive steps is the need of the hour. On this World Hypertension Day, we must remind ourselves of the danger and potential risk of hypertension and take steps towards protecting ourselves”

Dr Narsingh Verma, Secretary-General, Indian Society of Hypertension (ISH) says, “There has been a steep increase in covert stress and underlying anxiety this year which has led to more people experiencing high blood pressure or even Hypertension. In fact, Hypertension is more common than considered, with nearly 30-40% of India’s adult population afflicted with it (source). At a primary level, however, this can be easily managed by keeping a watch on one’s diet which includes consuming a low sodium salt.”