Background: Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are a mushrooming problem and accounts for majority of deaths. Paradoxically the population of Kerala is increasingly susceptible to NCDs despite having good access to health care. Doctors work in highly stressful conditions and often adopt sedentary lifestyles thereby forming a subset of the NCD prone population. The objective of this study was to assess the health status of the doctors which would provide an insight into their health and level of awareness regarding the role of lifestyle in prevention of NCDs.Methods: Sixty five doctors participated in this Cross-Sectional Observational study conducted at a CME in Kerala. After obtaining Institutional Ethical clearance, demographic profile was collected, and fat levels were estimated using body composition analyzer (OMRON-HBF375). The results were tabulated using Microsoft Office Excel, analyzed using SPSS version 20.Results: On classifying the study group based on BMI, only 34 were normal, 26 were Overweight, and 4 were Obese. Gender wise distribution of body fat revealed only 4 had normal body fat composition. The study also showed that as age advances the amount of total and visceral fat shows a significant upward trend in males.Conclusions: BMI alone cannot be used as a predictor of health status. Body Fat percentage analysis should be included in routine screening programs. Men have a tendency to develop visceral adiposity with age. Females depend more on fat as primary source and hence females will respond better to a properly programmed exercise regime and men to a well guided diet program with exercise.

Research temperament among undergraduate medical students: A nationwide studyModern medicine and healthcare rely on an evidence-based approach, emphasizing the need for good scientific research. The worldwide decrease in the number of physician-researchers is a matter of concern.There are no universally accepted ways to motivate doctors; however, the literature clearly upholds the role of early induction as a promising option. 1,2 Undergraduate research can thus be a possibility to enhance the physician-scientist workforce. 3 Research and related activities during the undergraduate period can be mandatory, elective or extracurricular depending on the institutional norms, department culture and faculty motivation. Since early exposure is highly valued, we aimed to assess research-related activities of undergraduate medical students in India. Quantitative evaluation based on publications/projects is not appropriate. Any activity outside their curriculum showing scientific pursuit or inclination needs to be considered. Ethical waiver was obtained from our Institutional Ethics Committee.We collected the research background of participants of a nationallevel research methodology programme organized from 7 to 17 September 2020 by our medical college. A total of 174 undergraduates from 57 medical colleges across India, representing 11 states/Union Territories, attended the programme and responded to the google form-based survey by furnishing the following details:1. Reading scientific articles/research reports 2. Attending scientific conferences/workshops 3. Involvement in community medicine projects (data collection, data entry, etc.) 4. Presenting scientific papers in seminars/conferences 5. Short-term studentship (STS) 6. Publishing scientific articles Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analysed using IBM SPSS version 25. Research activities were scored in the order given above with the minimum score of 1 for reading scientific articles and the maximum of 6 for publishing activity. Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to assess the association between research activity and year of study.