Doha – December 28, 2022:  Two expert speakers discussed ways to address pressing population health issues in the latest instalments of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar’s (WCM-Q) Population Health and Wellbeing webinar series. 

The latest webinar featured Dr. Sheela Nambiar, president of the Indian Society of Lifestyle Medicine, discussing the central importance of regular exercise for overall health and wellbeing. Prior to that, Dr. Shagufta Feroz, founder and president of the Pakistan Association of Lifestyle Medicine gave a presentation about the health benefits of eating in synchronization with the body’s natural biorhythms.

The series is delivered by WCM-Q’s Institute for Population Health (IPH) and is designed to share expert knowledge on major global health challenges such as the epidemic of chronic noncommunicable diseases, the rising prevalence of mental health issues, inequity in women’s health outcomes, lack of access to basic healthcare in many communities, and widening national and regional health disparities.

Many of these diseases are driven by lifestyle factors, such as poor diet, use of tobacco and other unhealthy substances, poor sleep, lack of exercise, and generally sedentary behavior. Social and environmental factors are also influential - social alienation, low general literacy, low health literacy, lack of access to healthcare, and lack of opportunities to move during the day are all significant determinants of health.  

Dr. Nambiar’s webinar identified regular exercise as one of the pillars of lifestyle medicine, discussed different types of exercise, and gave practical advice about how to integrate exercise into daily life. 

In her webinar, Dr. Feroz outlined the significance of biological rhythms for health and explained how to synchronize meals with gut rhythm to optimize the absorption of nutrients.  

The webinars were accredited locally by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Healthcare Professions – Accreditation Section and internationally by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).