Cimas holds lifestyle Expo in Africa Unity Square

Cimas Medical Aid Society is holding an Expo in Harare's Africa Unity Square on Saturday next week, June 14, to raise awareness of the impact that lifestyle choices have on a person's health and wellbeing.

The Cimas Expo, which starts at 9am and runs until 5 pm, will include counselling and medical check-up facilities for members of the public who wish, for instance, to check their blood sugar level or learn more about the best way to keep fit.

The Expo will look at the total wellbeing of an individual. Medical check-ups will be available for, among other things, eyes, teeth and body mass indices, as well as for blood sugar levels.

Training and physical fitness advisors will be on hand to offer advice on how to keep fit. There will also be youth advice groups and HIV/AIDS counselling and testing.

Health associations such as the Epilepsy Foundation, Cancer Association and the Zimbabwe Diabetic Association will be taking part in the Expo.

There will also be entertainment. Celebrated musician Jah Prayzah will be performing at the Expo. There will be jumping castles and clowns to entertain the children.

Cimas Medical Aid Society acting managing director Roderick Takawira says lifestyle choices play a major part in the health of individuals and whole communities.

"It is generally accepted among health bodies the world over that lifestyle choices play a major part in a person's health and well-being. Many health dangers can be avoided simply by adopting a healthy lifestyle," he said.

"Apart from the obvious health dangers there are in engaging in risky behaviour such as promiscuous sexual behaviour, smoking and alcohol or drug abuse, there are other lifestyle issues that affect a person's health positively or negatively.

"What we eat, how physically active we are and what our weight is can all play a part in determining how healthy or unhealthy we are," he said.

"We would like at our Expo, which we hold every year as part of our corporate social investment in the community, to give as many people as possible the opportunity to think about their lifestyle and its possible effect on their present and future health.

"Visitors to the Expo, will be able, for instance, to find out, using the body mass index, what their ideal weight should be, taking into account their age, gender and height, and how their own body mass index varies from what health professionals consider the norm.

"They will be able to seek advice on   how to keep fit. They will be able to have their eyes tested or have a dental check-up," he said.

Stress, he said, which is often related to lifestyle, can be a major contributor to ill health.

"Learning to deal with and manage stress can make a great difference to one's health. We are hoping that the entertainment that will be provided at the Expo will highlight the role that a certain amount of relaxation and entertainment can play in promoting good health," Mr Takawira said.

He pointed out that the Expo will also provide an opportunity for those suffering from non communicable diseases such as cancer, epilepsy or diabetes or those who have relatives or friends with these conditions to seek information and support from the national associations that deal with these.

"According to the World Health Organisation, non-communicable diseases are expected in 2020 to account for seven out of every 10 deaths in developing countries," he said.