Aiming to educate the public on healthy and balanced food choices, the Ministry of Public Health began the second phase of its “Start Now” campaign, under the theme “Eat Healthy”. The campaign, organised in collaboration with the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), aims at raising awareness in the Qatari society about the importance of eating healthy food regularly and turning it into a sustainable daily routine.
In its second phase, the campaign will look at healthy and balanced food choices that provide an adequate nutritional value for the body. One of the most important messages of the second phase is calling for healthy meals that include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, low fat dairy products, healthy meats such as fish and chicken, in addition to adopting healthy ways of preparing food by reducing the use of sugar, salt and fat, replacing frequent soft drinks with water and sometimes fresh juices, as well as drinking 8 to 12 cups of water a day.
The campaign also seeks to encourage the preparation of healthy homemade foods and to involve children in the process in order to gain knowledge of healthy and balanced foods as well as how to prepare them, at an early age, so as to become one of their healthy habits.
The launch of the second phase of the campaign prior to the Holy Month of Ramadan comes in the context of encouraging the public to follow healthy eating habits, towards becoming a daily routine during the month of fasting and throughout the year.
“The (positive) response that the first phase of the “Start Now” campaign received has given us a strong incentive to launch the second phase under the slogan “Eat Healthy”, through which we aim to spread the concept of balanced healthy nutrition to the wider community and to consolidate it among the members of society by illustrating to them the nutritional plans they need to follow in order to enjoy good health,” said Dr Sheikha Al Anoud bint Mohammed Al Thani, Director of Health Protection and Non-communicable diseases.
“A healthy balanced diet works to strengthen the body and provide it with energy and vitality, as well as protect it from various diseases in order to be capable of bearing the burden of daily life without fatigue or exhaustion. This is why at the ministry, we highlight the importance of spreading the concept of healthy eating and maintaining an ideal weight,” she said.
The campaign aims to deliver its messages to all members of the community through the most prominent media and advertising methods, in addition to innovative promotional activities.
The “Start Now” campaign is a qualitative initiative of the ministry aimed at building a healthy future for the population, and comes in the framework of the Ministry's relentless efforts to promote a health culture in the community, in line with the National Health Strategy and towards the realization of the human development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
