‘No Smoking Gabbar’ to Pollution Rap: Top Health Stories of 2017

From pollution to sexual health to mental health, here are the top stories of 2017 on FIT.

Here’s a roundup of the best health stories on FIT this year!

From pollution to sexual health to mental health, there are so many health issues that affect us every day. Many of them took centre stage in 2017.

To increase the coverage of these stories, The Quint launched FIT, a health and fitness website, this year. Here are our top stories.

1. Join Us On A Journey: Where do Organs go Once You Are Brain Dead?

FIT did a week-long campaign this year to encourage people to pledge their organs, which helps saves thousands of lives. Here’s a look at an organ in transit – from one life to another.

2. Delhi, Let This 5-Year-Old Girl Breathe

Toxic smog and pollution once again enveloped Delhi NCR and many other cities in the country this year. And kids are some of the worst affected.

India has witnessed a huge rise in asthma among children in the past decade due to a spike in environmental pollution. In Delhi alone, every third child’s lungs are impaired because of it.

Children as young as Suditi are developing asthma before they can even walk. Here is her plea to you.

3. Smoked Out! Why Does Gabbar Want You to Chuck That Cigarette?

Bollywood villain Gabbar loved his tobacco. Let’s see what all those years of chewing tobacco and smoking have done to him. Click anywhere on Gabbar’s body to see the effects of the habit. It’s not just lungs and mouth.

4. #PollutionKaSolution: Watch These Kids Rap for Your Attention

With pollution levels breaching emergency numbers soon after Diwali and a layer of smog settled all over NCR, a bunch of young rap artists have some tough questions for all the adults responsible for their choked lungs.

Catch the lyrics here.

5. How To Talk to Kids About Sex? Here’s An Age-Appropriate Guide

Kids these days are exposed to sexual content very early in life. Here’s a stunning fact. Whatever you teach your child about sexuality after the age of eight or nine will only be corrective – that means they already know something about it from somewhere else. New realities, right?

Don’t worry, parents. Here’s a guide for you to understand how you should talk to them so that they make healthy sexual choices.

6. Exclusive: Greedy Doctors of Death and an Urban ‘Hospital Bazaar’

In Agra’s ‘hospital bazaar’, a string of private hospitals put the lives of their patients at risk by compromising on qualification and flouting norms. Watch the entire investigation by The Quint here.

7. Food for Thought: How Does Fasting Affect Your Body?

India loves to fast. For tradition, religion, politics or in protest. Or even just to lose weight? But is fasting healthy?

Find out: To fast or not to fast?

8. India’s Paradox: An Obese and Undernourished Nation

Obesity and undernutrition – the two extremes of malnutrition are almost equally prevalent in India. This infographic shows why that should worry you.

India’s double burden of malnutrition – obesity and undernutrition.(Photo: Rhythum Seth/The Quint)

9. What’s Up With His Penis? 4 Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

Bollywood films have a way of getting people to talk about issues they portray. A tongue-in-cheek family movie this year brought erectile dsyfunction in the limelight. And men’s sexual health became a topic of discussion.

Erectile dysfunction is not only an old man’s problem. Men in the prime of their life can also have trouble making it larger than a Lilliputian.

Go on, watch this first. Thank us later!

10. How A Chain Smoker ‘Delhi Aunty’ Quit Her Cigarettes

Non-smokers enjoy a number of perks. No, we’re not going to ask you to quit smoking. We aren’t going to show you photos of charred lungs and infected mouths either.

Instead, here’s the story of a 47-year-old self-proclaimed “Delhi aunty”. She used to smoke over 30 cigarettes a day for 30 years. One fine day, she quit.

Here’s her fun and inspiring story!

11. Suicides, Self Harm and the Blue Whale Challenge: Truth vs Hype

Blue Whale Challenge - hoax or reality?(Photo: iStock)

Several suicides that occurred across the country since August were linked to the Blue Whale Challenge, which is a ‘game’ that apparently coaxes vulnerable teens to kill themselves in the final task. Experts linked it to the bigger problem of mental health in India.

But are these claims based on facts or rumours? Here’s what we found.

12. A Brief History of Yoga: From Vedas to Vegas

This year marked the third ever celebration of International Yoga Day.

But when did yoga really go international? Wait, when did yoga get here in India in the first place? When and how did yoga evolve from the Vedas to Vegas?

We dug deep into the 3500-year-old history of yoga to find out.

Liked our stories in 2017? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to make sure you don’t miss out on all the stuff we have lined up for you in 2018!

Oh, and Happy New Year from the team at FIT!