Girls today are taking a no-holds barred approach when it comes to hurling abuses, says Akshata Shetty   The first time I heard a girl say ‘F**k off’, I was appalled. I was in total shock for a week, as it was the first time I had heard something so outrageous. To be honest, I didn’t even know what it meant when I was a collegian. But I guess, if I react the same way today, I may just be told: “I swear, so what’s f**king wrong in it?”   Ok ok, we get it. The urban girl likes to swear just as much as guys do. Call it a way of expressing one’s frustrations or just saying it for the heck of it, but girls these days have less inhibitions when it comes to hurling abuses.   Earlier, girls were reticent about using strong swear words. If something really annoyed them, they would perhaps swear under their breath but today’s gals take a no-holds barred approach to taboo words and expressions.

If we can embrace motherhood as another equally vital part of being a woman, we can perhaps work out a better balance between home and career, Meera Godbole Krishnamurthy tells Sandhya Iyer   Meera Godbole Krishnamurthy’s debut novel, Balancing Act, is an engaging read about a young mother’s struggle to find balance in her life. Though professionally qualified, her protagonist Tara is content to be a ‘stay-at-home’ mother. However, in a feminist world, she feels she might be viewed as unfashionable and out of step with times.   The novel is autobiographical to a large extent. Meera lived abroad for several years and has now settled in Mumbai. The following are excerpts from an interview with the author:   Were you always interested in writing? Architecture, painting, sculpture, making quilts, writing — all these creative arts   — which I have explored — have a common language with many overlaps.

In a society where the woman is expected to fulfil religious responsibilities and keep alive the family tradition, while also meeting the ever-increasing demands of modern-day life, is it possible to strike a balance? Manasi Mathkar collects responses   So you have a puja to perform at home tomorrow and your business client calls you with some last-minute changes, which he wants you to incorporate in your proposal. You possibly can’t tell him it’s not doable, after all where’s the professionalism you take pride in! Yet being there for the family and attending rituals that are an integral part of our culture is something hard to ignore. In the present day and age, this is a common predicament faced by many working women where balancing priorities is a daily task.

Dr Vidya Nene Family Physician Secretary, Garima, IMA   Earlier, obesity was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility. But now, obesity is a stigma and people are becoming aware of the hazards of being overweight.   Obesity is a medical condition in which bodyweight accumulates to such an extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, body and mind. Obesity is commonly caused due to one or combination of causes such as consumption of excessive dietary caloric intake, binge eating or night eating, lack of physical activities, endocrine disorders like hypothyroidism, medications like insulin, oral contraceptives, anticonvulsants and so on.   Malnutrition in early phase of life is believed to play a role in the rising rate of obesity. Sometimes genetic causes like Cushing’s Syndrome (a hormonal disorder caused by high levels of cortisol) may be on the list.

Dr Vidya Nene Family Physician Secretary, Garima, IMA   Earlier, obesity was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility. But now, obesity is a stigma and people are becoming aware of the hazards of being overweight.   Obesity is a medical condition in which bodyweight accumulates to such an extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, body and mind. Obesity is commonly caused due to one or combination of causes such as consumption of excessive dietary caloric intake, binge eating or night eating, lack of physical activities, endocrine disorders like hypothyroidism, medications like insulin, oral contraceptives, anticonvulsants and so on.   Malnutrition in early phase of life is believed to play a role in the rising rate of obesity. Sometimes genetic causes like Cushing’s Syndrome (a hormonal disorder caused by high levels of cortisol) may be on the list.