Ideal Health Challenge
Journey to a Healthier Life
3rd July, 2008

Under the patronage of the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Higher Health, Safety & Environment Committee, Mr. Saad Al-Shuwaib, who was deputized by Mr. Farouq Al-Al-Zanki, the Acting Chief Executive Officer, a journey of self improvement and new lifestyle, was successfully culminated in a unique honouring ceremony.
Mr. Ali Al-Hajri- Managing Director Finance & Administration Affairs and Sponsor of the Ideal Health Challenger, honoured the fifteen participants of the premier journey that set sail last March and the destination was a healthier lifestyle and ideal weight.

The event was organized by the Awards & Recognition Committee headed by Sheikh Faisal Al-Jaber Al-Sabah-the Deputy Managing Director Government, Parliament Public & Media Relations, also included honouring the medical team that supervised the challenge.
Far from the mundane matters of winning and losing, Al-Hajri underlined that he firmly shares the conviction of the Higher HSE Committee, that all who entered the challenge is considered a winner and his/her prize is the “valuable health knowledge that will help them continue in this journey of self improvement free of diseases associated with unhealthy eating habits and obesity.”
Al-Hajri described the Ideal Health Challenge as a “journey where one challenged his will and adapted to a new lifestyle, learned a healthy new culture, and changed unhealthy patterns. Additionally, participants realized the importance of daily exercise in maintaining a healthy body and soul and its role in helping one reach his/her ideal weight.”
In order to achieves the objectives of the challenge, the sponsor of the competition said that all efforts were exerted to “design a special program and to create a competitive atmosphere to spur participants to do their level best. We also provided them with all means of support needed to win this challenge from free health club memberships, a one month membership in the Diet Centre, and constant medical supervision.”

Al-Hajri lauded the efforts of the Ahmadi Hospital medical team who accompanied the participants in every step of the way and dedicated time and resources to ensure their success.
For his part, Dr. Abdel-Latif Elmor-Consultant Public Health, Head of Health Promotion Unit at Ahmadi Hospital, gave a pictorial presentation where he surveyed the details of the challenges, the learned lessons, as well as the basis of choosing the winners.
Dr. Elmor highlighted the dangers of obesity and its strong correlation with the modern day’s diseases such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart problems. He stressed that other factors such as age, genetics, and gender affect a person’s susceptibility to obesity that are beyond one’s control. He indicated that modern medical studies have concluded that changing one’s eating habits, regular exercises and adapting to a healthier lifestyle work wonders in preventing those ailments.