Twenty five-year-old Ankur has been working as part of Jet Airways' cabin crew for the last two-and-a-half years. This young steward studied computer applications before deciding on a career in aviation. He applied to Jet Airways, got selected and hasn't looked back since. "It pays well, better than any nine-to-five job -- and it allows me to travel," says Ankur when we ask him about his career choice.
However, all jobs have their drawbacks and this one has a very strict weight-control regulation. All airlines have a weight limit for their cabin crew; being overweight could cost you your flying career. Ankur tells us how important it is to keep his weight in check. "Every two months we have a weight check. If you're over the limit, you're given a warning and some time to shed the weight. If you still fail to do so and don't show any progress, then you're grounded and not allowed to fly anymore."
So how do these young people manage to keep their weight in check, especially given the nature of their demanding jobs?
"I go jogging for 45 minutes to an hour as often as I can. I also don't eat airline food -- it's very fattening, since it's cooked twelve hours prior to the flight. Like me, a lot of other cabin crew bring their own food from home." Ankur stresses on the importance of eating right, saying that if he gets very hungry on a flight, he tries to eat fruit instead of airline food.
He also has a disciplined lifestyle, given the nature of his profession. "Don't eat too much before going to bed. Keep dinner as light as possible and breakfast hearty," he says.
Ankur's advice:
Exercise as much as you can, whenever you find the time.
Avoid airline food as far as possible.
Control your diet and stay light at night.
Caption: Jet Airways crew members are issued a single warning if they are overweight, before the airline takes action against them.
Photographs: Rediff Archives
Also see: Six easy steps to lose weight
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