The Institute for Population Health (IPH) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) recently hosted an interactive health education event to highlight the power of mega sports spectacles in boosting social connectedness, health and well-being.
Titled Megasports: Promoting Health and Well-being for All, the event was attended by the Director of Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Sheikh Dr Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Thani. It covered all six key pillars of the emerging Lifestyle Medicine discipline such as physical activity, healthy diet, stress management, restorative sleep, tobacco/risky substance use cessation, and social connectedness. These pillars are considered essential elements for building and maintaining emotional resilience, a crucial component of overall health.
The event also included a series of fun and informative all-day activities – planking, push-up and jump-rope challenges, an obstacle course, pottery class, board games, and raffle draws. In addition, mindfulness and bilingual storytelling sessions were also held throughout the day.
WCM-Q Vice Dean for Population Health and Lifestyle Medicine Dr Ravinder Mamtani said the event offered Education City students, staff, and faculty along with their families and friends, the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the role that mega sporting events, such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, play in helping people connect socially, thereby contributing to overall health and well-being. Dr Mamtani also highlighted that self-awareness and self-care are critical elements in helping facilitate a healthy lifestyle.
According to WCM-Q Assistant Dean of the Institute for Population Health Dr Sohaila Cheema, they are constantly exploring new initiatives to help raise awareness on important community-related health measures, especially since the vast majority of non-communicable diseases can be prevented, treated and often reversed through the adoption of sensible lifestyle measures. She said it was wonderful to see many enthusiastic participants attend the extremely engaging and informative event.
IPH was created with the goal of advancing the tripartite mission of WCM-Q in education, research, community, and related matters. Through effective public health policies, healthy lifestyles, and informed healthcare decisions, life expectancy, health outcomes, and the overall quality of life can greatly improve.
For more information about IPH, visit qatar-weill.cornell.edu.
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