Mumbai: OZiva, plant-based nutrition, and wellness brand has launched a social experiment film #BeYourOwnMan challenging the stereotypes that Indian men face with respect to their mental health and wellbeing.
The experiment is an attempt to highlight the popular misconceptions plaguing men’s health that often go untended. According to the survey conducted by the brand, at least 51 per cent of men equate being healthy to ‘just feeling’ fit while 27 per cent of them feel embarrassed to openly speak about mental and physical health. The global statistics also show that on average, men are dying five years earlier than women and men account for a whopping 69 per cent of the total number of suicides, said the brand in a statement.
OZiva co-founder Aarti Gill said, “The importance of good health cannot be defined by genders. However, we are seeing a huge divide in the way health is perceived by men and women. At OZiva, we want to empower every individual to be healthier and better in every way. Whether men or women, physical and mental health should always be a priority. And we are hoping to open more conversations and also encourage men to seek help when needed as there is no shame in prioritizing health.”
According to the brand, the social experiment film will help by working on multiple levels to permeate the idea that it is essential for men to take care of their physical and mental wellbeing. It plunges deep into the intricacies of men’s psyche and attempts to understand their various mental and physical concerns. The film uses a simple insight that men rarely shy away from boasting about their scars- whether it’s a childhood scar from a cool mischief story or the one they got as teenagers while playing. In fact, they wear these stories like a badge of honor! But when it comes to sharing or talking about scars that are not really visible, their mental and physical health, there is a lot of hesitation, fear, and embarrassment as well.
The film aims to break the stereotype of what it means to be a man by encouraging every man to #BeYourOwnMan and tell them it's okay to speak up about health and get help when needed.
