The second phase of a health awareness campaign has been launched in Qatar, focusing on educating the public on healthy and balanced food choices that provide adequate nutritional value for the body. 
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation and the Primary Health Care Corporation, has launched the second phase of its comprehensive awareness campaign - ‘Start Now’ - under the slogan ‘Eat Healthy’.
The initiative aims to raise awareness in the Qatari society about the importance of eating healthy food regularly and turning it into a sustainable daily routine, according to a press statement.
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, and healthy meats such as fish and chicken. 
It aims at 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 8-12 cups of water a day.
The campaign also seeks to encourage the preparation of healthy homemade foods and involve children in the process 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.
Sheikha Dr al-Anoud bint Mohamed al-Thani, director of health protection and non-communicable diseases at the MoPH, said: “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 to enjoy good health.
“A healthy balanced diet works to strengthen the body and provide it with energy and vitality, as well as protect it from various diseases, to be capable of bearing the burdens of daily life without fatigue or exhaustion. This is why at the Ministry of Public Health, we highlight the importance of spreading the concept of healthy eating and maintaining an ideal weight.”
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 MoPH aimed at building a healthy future for the population, and comes within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to promote a health culture in the community in line with the National Health Strategy and towards the realisation of the human development pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030, the statement adds.

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