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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.

Background: Adipose tissue mainly visceral fat is said to be harmful and acts as a harbinger of metabolic disorders. A changing trend is seen in the recent decades with decreasing incidence of metabolic disorders in men even though visceral fat is said to be higher in them. Sex hormones may influence the deposition pattern of adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to observe effects of age on visceral fat and to know if the difference in gender pattern of fat distribution is maintained throughout life or disappears after menopause. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Thrissur on 385 apparently healthy subjects using Omron body composition analyser. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.0 version. The tests employed were NOVA, independent samples t-test. Results: In each age group, men had significantly higher visceral fat than females. As age increased, visceral fat increased significantly in both genders. In each group, except for younger age groups, VF levels were equal in men and women. Conclusions: Visceral fat is higher in men and this difference is seen in all age groups. As age increases, visceral fat levels also increased in men and women. The distribution of visceral fat is such that a greater number of men have high to very high levels at a younger age group, a feature observed in women only in the peri and post-menopausal age. Adoption of an active lifestyle coupled with healthy diet should protect against onset of metabolic disorders.

Background: The alleged link between handedness and learning is debatable. Studies unveil that handedness has a way of influencing learning and affects the academic performance of students. Despite the researchers pointing out that handedness influences the brain organization and function, teaching strategies have largely ignored this fact. The concept of using various sensory modalities as a part of learning has not been comprehended well. The aim of the study is to find out the prevalence of handedness among our medical students and to look onto the types of learning styles amongst them and to determine the correlation between handedness with learning styles.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among hundred medical students using handgrip dynamometer for handedness and VARK questionnaire (Visual, auditory, read/write, kinesthetic; a validated tool that helps one to identify the most preferred sensory modality for learning) for determining the learning preference. Data was analysed using univariate and bivariate analysis through cross tabulation and Pearson chi square test using SPSS version 20.Results: Right handers preferred VARK with dominancy for auditory learning styles, left handers preferred VARK with dominancy for auditory and kinesthetic learning styles while ambidextrous prefer visual learning styles.Conclusions: The awareness of the association of handedness with various learning styles and its implications on academic performance should be at the forefront of teaching strategies adopted by teachers. Hence, we conclude that to be an effective learner, the learning needs have to be understood and cater to by the trainers.

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