“Children can act as peer educators”. This message sent out a strong sense of responsibility in today’s morning assembly when Mr. Anurag Awasthi, National Co-ordinator for Caring Souls Foundation (CASOF) addressed students from 1st to 12th grades.
Mr. Awasthi was thankful to be invited by the school’s management to address this group of around 1500 students on lifestyle changes for combating cancer, a topic that would educate us on the life threatening consequences of cancer, and how to combat the disease by making simple changes to a lifestyle that thrives on consumption of junk food and is devoid of exercise.
He started by speaking about the advantages of addressing young students as they could be the change agents for such a transformation to happen in their families. Speaking about various types of cancer, he explained in detail about gene mutations in human bodies that could cause cancer, apart from the deadly effects of smoking cigarettes and chewing gutkha. With the help of case studies, he was able to emphasize the need to plant more trees which is the only way to increase the oxygen levels in our atmosphere.
The second important point that he stressed upon was the easy lifestyle that the current generation has adopted for themselves. Fast moving junk foods which contain artificial colors, mawa and saturated oils only weaken the immunity quotient of the body. More sunshine, exercise and homemade healthy foods must be prioritized as they would contribute towards building a healthy body. The harmful effects of chemicals present in fruits and vegetables due to over use of pesticides was shared by Mr. Awasthi with the help of research studies that proved how cancerous these chemicals are, and how careful one must be while biting into raw fruits.
Lastly, he urged the students to adapt the lifestyle which is still seen in many villages in India – simple living and eating home-cooked food.
