Articles by Savita Verma

Few can resist the temptation of taste bud-tickling instant noodles, refreshing fruity drinks, cold beverages, health drinks, bhujiyas, soy sticks, or cereals and confectionery products like biscuits and chocolates. A critical question, however, is whether they are even aware that all these pre-packaged items form a part of the harmful junk food brigade known as ultra-processed foods, or UPF, which are known to be associated with non-communicable diseases. What is more, these are often presented as healthy food options using misleading advertisements, as a recent report points out.  The report titled The Junk Push: Rising Ultra-processed Food Consumption in India…

If “vomiting” is the first remedial action that strikes you in an imagined event of poisoning, it may not be the correct approach in most cases. So, what is to be done if somebody ingests poison unknowingly or intentionally? Unfortunately, there is not much awareness of what constitutes poisoning and the correct response to it among the general public and even among doctors. The World Health Organisation estimates that, in 2016, unintentional poisoning caused 106683 deaths and the loss of 6.3 million years of healthy life (disability-adjusted life years). According to a paper published in the Lancet Global Health in…

The refrain has become common. That our cities are total unsuited to handle extreme rainfall events in a warming climate scenario. Extreme rainfall events are when a huge amount of rain occurs over a short period of time. And such situations are happening in different part of the country, in Karnataka, Assam and north-east, in recent days as the monsoon season enters its second month. The situation will only worsen, say experts, as the country rapidly urbanises, and urban planning not being in sync with managing and mitigating the effects of such events. “Water entered my house in Chandigarh some…