IPMAT Indore 2019 (VA) PYQs

A report published in Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology has called for an overhaul of our understanding of obesity. An over-reliance on using Body Mass Index [BMI] as a metric has the peculiar effect of leading to both underdiagnosis and overdiagnosis of the condition. __________________________. BMI does not give accurate information about how fat is distributed in an individual’s body. It frequently fails to capture the true state of health of an individual. A person’s BMI may indicate they are “obese”, but their organs and bodily functions may be absolutely normal. Every individual is a unique constellation — not only of genes and other biological variables, but also socio-economic conditions and habits.

__________________ Infrastructure, in the form of paved surfaces, disrupts water absorption and lowers water retention. This leads to disastrous levels of flooding which diminishes the biodiversity and impoverishes the people of the region. Land should be used mindfully to prevent water logging during heavy rains.

Captive breeding has helped revive wildlife such as the Eurasian beaver, the cheetah and the Arabian Onyx. Several species have been reintroduced into locations in order that the ecological balance is restored. When herbivorous bandicoots were set free in the wild, they dug the ground and redistributed dry leaves and branches, reducing the chance of bush fires. But some predators may overhunt or threaten other vulnerable species. _________.