Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, in collaboration with the Human Nutrition Department at Qatar University’s College of Health Sciences, recently organised a public awareness event in recognition of World Nutrition Day.
The event, under the theme ‘Together for a Healthy Community in Qatar’, took place at Hamad General Hospital. It was designed to increase awareness about the importance of good nutrition and the resources that are available to help people make healthier lifestyle choices. 
Reem al-Saadi, director of Dietetics and Nutrition at HMC, said the event aimed to draw attention to the link between healthy lifestyle choices and good health and disease prevention.
“The aim was to highlight the importance of eating healthy foods and maintaining an active lifestyle. We want to demonstrate the role the foods we eat, and the nutrients they contain, play in influencing our health,” she said.
“A team of clinical dietitians from HMC, along with nutrition students and staff from Qatar University’s Department of Human Nutrition, talked to visitors at our hospital about the role good nutrition plays in contributing to their overall health. Eating well and living an active lifestyle can help individuals maintain a healthy weight and reduce their risk for some chronic diseases,” explained al-Saadi.
“We provided information on various diets, the role and benefit of different food groups, and guidelines around recommended limits for fats, sugars, and salt. We also provided advice on safe food handling, storage, and preparation methods, with a focus on preventing foodborne illnesses,” she added.
As part of the one-day event, members of the public had the opportunity to receive basic health checks and individualised nutrition counselling from nutritionists and dietitians. 
Dr Tahra El Obeid, head of the Human Nutrition Department at Qatar University, said her department and the College of Health Sciences consider educating the public about the importance of good nutrition part of its mandate. 
The main goal of the awareness event was to provide the public with accurate information about how to maintain, and reduce, body weight through healthy lifestyle choices, specifically good nutrition, she added.
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