With the aim of creating a nationwide health movement, in line with its vision toward spreading wellness within the fabric of society, Nahdi, the largest pharmaceutical retailer in the Middle East and North Africa, completed its Wazen program in Jeddah on Jan. 16, 2016, ringing in a total weight loss of over 3.7 tons from a group of 2,772 participants. The competitive program that aims to create a healthy environment and encourage a wholesome and balanced lifestyle in the community, spanned a duration of two months, starting on November 20th, 2015, and concluded with an awards ceremony for all those that participated, at the Nahdi headquarters in Jeddah, on Feb. 4, 2016. Prizes were distributed to the top three winners, as well as free gym subscriptions from Chamelle Plaza that knew about our Wazen event and added a value to our program by offering a free gym subscription to our top 10 female winners. At the event, Eng. Yasser Joharji, CEO of Nahdi, said: "Obesity is undoubtedly one of the most challenging health problems in the 21st century. It is fast turning out to be a major cause of concern for the Kingdom with 36 percent of Saudis suffering from obesity, including 37 percent woman and about 3.5 million children. We must do everything in our power as healthcare experts to tackle this. I am confident that the Wazen program will help educate the community on the severity of the issue whilst providing a solution to this problem, which is affecting the community at large". "Our goal is to turn the Wazen platform into a Kingdom-wide movement, and extend our vision and expertise in the health field to the whole Saudi community, with a long-term strategy of combatting obesity and diabetes in our nation, from eating right to staying active." Joharji added. Sarah Turkistani, Senior Health & Community Service Manager at Nahdi, said: "We are very pleased with the results of the first edition of Wazen and with all those who participated, losing a whopping 3,713 kilograms, in just two months. This gives all of us here at Nahdi more motivation to move forward with such programs and be the go-to platform for all those looking to shed off the excess weight and get back in shape. " The program stands as a testament on how successful it can be in the community in providing a health platform that will help give people a boost into their weight loss journey, while also guiding them towards a new lifestyle where they can be fit and healthy." Wazen primarily launched in 30 Nahdi pharmacies in the Jeddah region, where it enlisted the expertise and help of Fawaz Al-Tasan, a personal trainer, health advocate and sports gym owner, and Jumana Jalal, a nutritionist, to provide a series of Q&A sessions on their social media handles, under the title ‘Wazen with Fawaz and Jumana.' Fawaz also provided tips and simple exercise routines through six videos that helped to demonstrate basic home exercises for the contestants to follow. Saif Saber, one of the runner-ups said: "Every time I took the decision to start a healthy diet to lose weight I would fail to commit to it, as I always had petty excuses. Even after registering at the gym I would keep it up for two weeks, only to give in to laziness and apathy. Wazen succeeded in motivating me and breaking that barrier for me. During a visit to a Nahdi pharmacy I was informed about the program and its benefits which immediately encouraged me to take action towards a healthier and better lifestyle. I wanted to gain my health by losing weight, so I took the first step towards a healthier tomorrow. Due to this program, I was able to lose 21 kilograms, only to later become one of the runner ups in the competition. I am hopeful that there is more to come as I will not stop until reach my ideal weight and ultimate goal." Private and government bodies are working right now in the Kingdom trying to alleviate the current situation, and start to force obesity into retreat in Saudi. The Health Ministry and the Council of Cooperative Health Insurance (CCHI) are currently considering a project to amend the current insurance policy to cover the treatment of obesity and the diseases resulting from it. As a community centric pharmacy, Nahdi continuously contributes to the general healthcare of the society, by providing high quality products and services and health awareness and preventative campaigns. The company is committed to spreading wellness across the local community and works to inspire health education and prevention.
