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    HEALTH & WELLNESS                                                         JULY 31, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 40

             Simplicity is Key to Healthy Ageing,                                                                 Treatment-resistant
                                                                                                                     Lilly Bets Big on

                            Suggest Celebrity Stories                                                                Depression with

                                                                                                                         $3.8-Billion

                  s conversations around healthy ageing gain mo-                                                         Acquisition
                  mentum, the lifestyles of some of Bollywood’s most
            Aenduring stars are drawing renewed attention for                                                           li Lilly has announced its acqui-
            demonstrating that consistency, balanced nutrition and                                                      sition of clinical-stage biotech-
            regular physical activity can support long-term wellness.                                             Enology  company  AtaiBeckley
                At 83, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan continues to                                                in a deal valued at up to $3.8 billion,
            maintain a demanding work schedule, with recent reports                                               marking  the  pharmaceutical  giant’s
            attributing his vitality to a disciplined daily routine cen-                                          entry  into  the  rapidly  evolving  field
            tred on adequate rest, a balanced diet, regular exercise,                                             of  psychedelic-based  mental  health
            mental engagement through writing, and routine health                                                 treatments. The transaction includes
            check-ups. Fitness experts associated with the actor have                                             an upfront cash payment of approxi-
            also highlighted his commitment to never missing work-                                                mately $2.8 billion, with an additional
            outs,  regardless  of  professional  commitments,  under-                                             $1  billion  tied  to  development  and
            scoring that consistency is more important than intensity.                                            regulatory  milestones.  The  acquisi-
                The discussion has coincided with renewed interest                                                tion is expected to close in the third
            in healthy eating habits among veteran film personali-                                                quarter of 2026, subject to sharehold-
            ties. Actress Zeenat Aman, 74, recently shared details of                                             er and regulatory approvals.
            her lifelong vegetarian diet, revealing that she follows a                                                The deal significantly strengthens
            simple philosophy of eating fresh, consuming small por-                                               Lilly’s neuroscience pipeline by add-
            tions and relying on wholesome foods throughout the                                                   ing BPL-003, an investigational intra-
            day. Her dietary approach reflects a growing emphasis                                                 nasal synthetic 5-MeO-DMT therapy
            on mindful eating rather than restrictive dieting as a sus-                                           designed to treat treatment-resistant
            tainable path to healthy ageing.                                                                      depression (TRD). The drug has al-
                Health  experts  have  long  maintained  that  regu-                                              ready received the U.S. Food and Drug
            lar  physical  activity,  nutritious  meals,  sufficient  sleep                                       Administration’s Breakthrough Ther-
            and  preventive  healthcare  remain  the  cornerstones  of                                            apy Designation after demonstrating
            healthy  ageing.  While  celebrity  routines  may  differ  in                                         rapid  and  durable  improvements  in
            scale and access to professional guidance, the underly-  tainable daily routines that support physical, mental and   depressive symptoms during Phase
            ing principles align closely with established public health   emotional well-being over time.         2b  clinical  trials.  Another  promising
            recommendations.                                      As India’s ageing population continues to grow, the   candidate, VLS-01, is also being de-
                The  renewed  focus  on  these  habits  comes  amid   experiences of public figures such as Bachchan and Aman   veloped for mental health disorders.
            rising  awareness  about  lifestyle-related  diseases  and   are  adding  to  broader  conversations  encouraging  disci-  The  acquisition  underscores
            the  importance  of  preventive  healthcare  among  older   plined  living,  balanced  nutrition  and  active  lifestyles  as   growing  confidence  in  psychedel-
            adults. Medical professionals note that healthy ageing   practical  measures  for  maintaining  health  and  indepen-  ic-assisted  therapies  as  convention-
            is less about quick fixes and more about adopting sus-  dence in later years.                         al  antidepressants  continue  to  fall
                                                                                                                  short for millions of patients with
                   FSSAI Cracks Down on Misleading Food Labels                                                    severe depression. Unlike traditional
                                                                                                                  medicines that primarily target neu-
                                                                                                                  rotransmitters,  AtaiBeckley’s  thera-
               ndia’s food regulator has intensi-  marketed  as  healthy  alternatives.   claims.  They  recommend  checking   pies aim to restore neural connectiv-
               fied its action against misleading   Experts say attractive packaging and   the  order  of  ingredients,  watching   ity  by  promoting  synaptic  plasticity,
            Ihealth  claims  on  packaged  food   front-of-pack claims often mask high   for hidden sugars under different   offering a potentially transformative
            products,  prompting  manufacturers   levels of sugar, salt or unhealthy fats,   names, comparing protein and fibre   treatment approach.
            to revise labels and marketing prac-  making  it  difficult  for  consumers   content, and limiting foods with long   For  Lilly,  the  purchase  reflects
            tices while encouraging consumers to   to distinguish genuinely nutritious   ingredient lists or multiple additives.   a broader strategy of expanding be-
            make more informed food choices.  products from those relying on mar-  Claims such as “multigrain” or “low-  yond  its  blockbuster  diabetes  and
                The Food Safety and Standards   keting tactics.                 fat”  should  also  be  verified  against   obesity  medicines  into  high-growth
            Authority of India (FSSAI) has is-    Following  FSSAI’s  notices,  sev-  the complete nutritional profile.  therapeutic  areas.  Analysts  believe
            sued notices to several food brands   eral  food  companies  have  report-  Public  health  experts  have  wel-  the company is leveraging strong rev-
            over “health-washing”—the practice   edly  modified  product  packaging,   comed the regulator’s action, stating   enues to build a diversified pipeline
            of  portraying  products  as  healthier   removed or revised promotional   that clearer food labelling can play a   capable of addressing unmet medical
            than they actually are through claims   claims, and strengthened compliance   crucial role in addressing rising rates   needs across neuroscience.
            such  as  “natural,”  “multigrain,”   with labelling regulations. The move   of  obesity,  diabetes  and  other  life-  With major drugmakers now in-
            “high-protein,”  or  “low-fat.”  The   reinforces the regulator’s broader ef-  style-related  diseases.  They  believe   vesting heavily in innovative mental
            regulator’s  latest  enforcement  drive   forts to improve transparency in In-  stricter  enforcement,  coupled  with   health treatments and regulators show-
            aims to ensure that food labels accu-  dia’s packaged food sector and pro-  greater  consumer  awareness,  will   ing greater openness to novel thera-
            rately reflect nutritional content and   mote informed purchasing decisions.  encourage  manufacturers  to  adopt   pies, the acquisition could accelerate
            do not mislead consumers.             Nutrition  experts  advise  con-  more transparent labelling practices   research and development in a field
                The crackdown follows growing   sumers to read ingredient lists and   and  help  shoppers  make  healthier   long  considered  experimental  while
            concerns  over  the  increasing  con-  nutrition information panels instead   dietary choices based on facts rather   offering new hope to patients with dif-
            sumption  of  ultra-processed  foods   of  relying  solely  on  front-of-pack   than marketing claims.  ficult-to-treat  psychiatric  conditions.

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