Festival to highlight importance of healthy lifestyles in UAE

Dubai: The Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) will hold a two-day fun and interactive festival offering free medical checkups, nutritious food cooking demonstrations, fitness classes and beauty treatments.

"We are giving back to the community," said Dr Aisha Abdullah, senior vice president of the DHCC.

She said the festival would be educative and also entertaining.

Aisha said about 3,000 people were expected attend. She added that the purpose of the festival was to make people aware of the need to safeguard their health.

The festival will also highlight awareness of the DHCC's 80 clinics and diagnostic centres and the two hospitals set to the public.

Proactive

"Healthier living starts with empowerment. We want to encourage people to take a proactive approach and the festival will be filled with activities, information and advice to help people lead healthy lives. Fun activities are also planned for children," she said.

In promoting the festival, the DHCC has stressed that it is not just for fitness fanatics, incessant dieters or fans of extreme makeover.

"It is a healthy festival with a twist — it's fun," the promoters have said.

There will be different zones in an open air area where the public can participate in a range of activities for the body and mind, test their knowledge and taste buds, get a health check-up and marvel at musicians, jugglers and dancers.

Osama Zyada, marketing manager for Benefiber, a co-sponsor said: "We lead busy lives and making time for your health often falls low on the list of priorities."

Doctors said many of the diseases could be averted through simple lifestyle changes. However, they acknowledged that old habits are hard to break.

Festival

What: Dubai Healthcare City's Community Health Festival 2009

When: November 6 to 7, from 1-9pm

Where: District 1, Dubai Healthcare City

For more details visit www.healthfestivaldubai.com