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The kingdom’s females flocked to City Centre Bahrain over the weekend to take part in Majid Al Futtaim’s global movement to fight heart disease in women.
The aim of the regional campaign entitled ‘Feel the Beat’ was to empower women into taking control of their health.
The mall’s team headed by senior mall manager Duaij Khalifa Al Rumaihi, in collaboration with the American Heart Association, teamed up with King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) to provide shoppers with a series of check-ups taking blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI) measurements.
Doctors and nurses administered the health checks on more than 620 women in the shopping destination’s Central Galleria last weekend. Women at risk of heart disease were also advised to see their family doctors.
The hospital’s pay manager, Sharon Skowronski, said: “This campaign helps women to understand that they are important as research has shown that women don’t look after their health as much as men do.”
Housewife, Shilpa Naik, 36, took a break from shopping with her husband Rupeesh, a 34-year-old investment banker, and their two sons, Aditya, eight, and Aaryan, four, to take part in the initiative.
The Hoora resident said: “This event is very helpful because many women of our age are not really aware of health issues, particularly concerning the heart. We often think we are forever young and that we can get away with eating anything we want. We figure we will go for check-ups later on when we are 45 or so, but that may be too late. These tests can prove to be an important wake-up call.”
According to David Fletcher, the hospital’s practical training chief who staged a live educational CPR demonstration with hands-on training at the health site, cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of women globally and the leading cause of death in most countries in the Middle East.
Reports also show a high prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, smoking and obesity among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. The highest rates of the risk factors, except smoking, were in Bahrain and Kuwait.
After the tests, participants sat with the hospital’s head of dietary services, Solafa Al Easawi, for advise on how to maintain a healthier lifestyle. She also handed out brochures, menu plans and nutritional tips to assist shoppers.
Mrs Al Easawi, from Juffair, said: “I am asking women to follow a healthy diet, take care of the quality of food that they are eating and not the quantity of food, as well as exercise.
“A lot of women in Bahrain are not taking care of themselves. For example, there are a lot of restaurants to choose from which makes it easier to eat out. Also, for many women, their busy schedules do not allow them to cook a healthy meal at home. Women should be picky about what they are eating. To lead a healthy lifestyle you need to eat well and exercise.”
Women were advised to stop smoking, exercise daily for at least 30 minutes and to eat a diet with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, lean meats and fish. They were also urged to get regular blood pressure and cholesterol checks.
Every weekend until June 12, medical specialists will visit all Majid Al Futtaim shopping malls across the region.
* The Feel the Beat sessions at City Centre Bahrain will take place on Friday from 10am to 10pm and on Saturday from 10am to 9pm. For more information, visit www.Facebook.com/CityCentreBahrain or www.citycentrebahrain.com
