Convenience is a word often associated with the less healthy exercise. In a country where summer temperatures can make outdoor activity difficult for months, the UAE has been quite inventive. Hence, today there is no shortage of climate-controlled gyms and sporting facilities – or, for that matter, community sports programmes such as the ones that are on offer at Zayed Sports City at this time of the year.
Then there is the annual Dubai Mallathon, launched last year, that turns malls across Dubai into running and walking tracks. This year, more than 160,000 people participated in the three-month programme that culminated in a full marathon inside Dubai Mall, thereby offering residents a way to stay active away from the summer heat. Again, the principle is convenience.
More broadly, this approach embeds public health in urban planning, education, hospitality and everyday community life – rather than confining it to hospital visits and medical care, which can be both stressful and expensive for all those involved. From a macroeconomic perspective, the stakes justify such a whole-of-government effort. The World Obesity Federation, a non-profit group, estimates that obesity could cost the UAE almost 5 per cent of its gross domestic product by 2035.
The overall impact of these measures could take years to become clear. But by systematically reducing the friction around good habits, the UAE is deliberately stacking the odds in favour of longer and healthier lives. If convenience has helped create some of modern life’s health problems, it can also help solve them.
