BENGALURU, 18th March 2024: Health and wellness knowledge platform Happiest Health hosted the Happiest Her: Women’s Wellness Summit at St John’s Auditorium, Bengaluru, today. The day-long event targeted discussions around aspects of women’s lives, with eminent speakers offering insights into health, fitness, lifestyle, and more.

With women’s health being debated as much as it has recently, the summit sought to add critical inputs to vital topics while providing clarity and addressing misconceptions. As a knowledge-based event, attendees were treated to insights and valuable information from a host of qualified speakers. The discussions and interactive sessions, meant for women across all age groups, spanned numerous elements, from reproductive health to exercise to mental health. The day was educational and motivating, giving guests clear, trustworthy answers to possible concerns and inspiring positive conversations about women’s interests.

Mr. Anindya Chowdhury CEO and president of Happiest Health, spoke about the summit: “Happiest Health highly values women’s wellness in an increasingly stressful world. Women juggle multiple roles on both the professional and personal fronts, and while doing so, often ignore their own health. We believe in spearheading more conversations around women’s lives and how they can spend time on self-care. Our focused sessions today have highlighted some of the health issues that women face and have looked at areas to address those. We’re delighted with the response to the summit and hope to have succeeded in informing and inspiring our audience.”

Dr Aruna Muralidhar, obstetrician & gynaecologist, at Cloudnine Hospital, Bengaluru, delivered the keynote address on Weight Loss, Lifestyle, PCOS and Childbirth Concerns. She revealed that almost one in three to four women she sees have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pointing to it becoming common nowadays. Dr Aruna elaborated on why PCOS is emerging as a public health challenge, speaking on identifying symptoms and making the correct diagnosis at the right time. She detailed lifestyle changes and management, stressing a multidisciplinary approach. Dr Aruna said, “Our quality of life boils down to eating, moving, and sleeping correctly. A healthy lifestyle is being as active as possible. Most importantly, think before you eat. Excess calories get into your visceral and subcutaneous fat, causing inflammation in your body and leading to many other problems. And that’s why smart plates can help: quarter-plate whole grains and plant proteins and half plates of greens/vegetables. Seeds and nuts are also good for PCOS. And it’s important, more than anything else, to eat mindfully.”

This was followed by a panel discussion on the topic Home, Work and Me—Balancing the Three by Debjani Mukherji (vice president, global strategic alliances, TalentSprint), Dr Sakshi Arora (PhD—Stanford University, national board-certified health coach), Dr Madhuri Vidyashankar. P (consultant gynaecologist, hysteroscopic & laparoscopic surgeon, Motherhood Hospitals, Bengaluru), and Sunila Benjamin (director, NielsenIQ BASES ). The panel opened up on managing stress at various stages in life, seeking support, and the value of behavioural health for individuals in high-pressure environments. Understanding the outcomes of the imbalance between work and personal priorities was a core part of the session, while the organic growth of women in workplaces was also featured.

Dr Poovamma C U, senior consultant and director of breast oncology at Cytecare Hospitals, Bengaluru, oversaw a session on cancer awareness, focusing on the role lifestyle plays in various cancers. On the topic of breast cancer among Indian women, she said, “Typically, in the West, cancers occur in women about 50 years of age. But if you look at our statistics from the ICMR, nearly 48% of breast cancers occur in women less than 50 years of age. For many cancers, we have an excellent prognosis when picked up early. But the awareness level is low among people.”

Dr Ranjan Shetty, head of the department, consultant-interventional cardiology, Manipal Hospitals, Dr Sunitha Mahesh (medical director, senior consultant, obstetrics and gynaecology, Milann Fertility Centre, Bengaluru), and Maragathavalli Inbamuthiah (senior consultant, Parity Consulting) led a panel discussion on Graceful Ageing. Regarding the subject of ageing gracefully and if it was an oxymoron, the speakers touched on having the proper perception towards ageing and accepting the process of bringing roundedness and wisdom to people’s lives. Key lifestyle factors contributing to graceful ageing were discussed, besides tips on how women can prepare themselves for this period emotionally and mentally.

The day ended with a panel on Women and Fitness by Priyanka Rohatgi (chief nutritionist, Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru), Dr Nirmala Chandrashekar (obstetrics gynaecology, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital, Bengaluru), Mahasweta Ghosh (marathoner & senior director of marketing, Sutherland Global Service Ltd., Gurgaon), and Wanitha Ashok (celebrity fitness professional, Fit India ambassador). The themes for the discussion concerned the attitude and choices women can consider around fitness, especially discipline and daily lifestyle changes that make a difference in their health. Specifically highlighted was the need for a calculated amount of protein intake.

Happiest Her: Women’s Wellness Summit is among Happiest Health’s initiatives to improve holistic health and wellness awareness. From informative tips to in-depth knowledge of multiple health categories, the enterprise offers a platform that seamlessly unites individuals and health experts for a comprehensive, one-stop experience.