Dubai stayed united for the healthy and wealthy Dubai. The Dubai Marathon has drawn large participation from all around the city. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) took part in the Dubai Marathon on Friday. More than 1,500 DHA employees took part in the marathon, which is the largest participation from a government organisation in a sporting event in the Mena region.
Al Maidoor, an avid sports enthusiast, said it is unfortunate that people do not find 30 minutes in a day to take part in any sport or exercise.Dr Moin Fikree, Medical Director of the Trauma Centre at Rashid Hospital, said that there are several parks, jogging tracks and beaches in Dubai where people can take part in outdoor activities during the winter months.
Talking about the link between inactivity and lifestyle diseases, he said: “When we see patients that are brought in for emergency cases such as heart attacks, more often than not, these patients have one or more lifestyle disease such as obesity, hypertension etc. which is a trigger for cardiovascular disease. The irony is that unlike genetic predisposition to CVD, all other lifestyle diseases are preventable and modifiable and yet we see young people dying of heart attacks. There is a direct link between expanding waist lines and these illnesses, therefore, it is time to educate our youth to lead active lifestyles and as the health authority for the emirate of Dubai, we feel, it was important for us to spread this message through our participation in such an important sporting event.”
He said heart attacks take place 10 years earlier in this region compared to many western countries, strokes take place at least 20 years earlier in the UAE as compared to many other countries. “These statistics reveal the need for urgent change in lifestyle patterns among the UAE population.”
At the DHA stand, several brochures and educational materials were available about healthy foods and ways to lead a healthy lifestyle. The Dubai Marathon has received massive response this year. The organizers say that development of jogging track, health clubs and awareness are the major reasons behind the immense success of Dubai Marathon.
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