UAE Among Fittest Countries in World

• Report based mostly on Cigna’s annual 360 Well-being Survey highlights significance of health initiatives within the UAE aimed toward selling an energetic lifestyle.
• Physical Well-being index within the UAE is 65.4 in comparison with international common of 60, overlaying key markets the world over, says Cigna’s report.

In line with its dedication to the general health and well-being, Cigna Insurance Middle East [CIME] – the main international well being companies firm, has issued a whitepaper that underpins the United Arab Emirates as one of many fittest international locations on the earth.

The Whitepaper corroborates the analysis findings on ‘physical well-being’ in Cigna’s 360 Well-being Survey, which revealed that the UAE is among the many fittest international locations on the earth, with a bodily index rating of 65.4 in comparison with a worldwide common of 60.

Over the final 4 years, UAE’s bodily index has grown by practically 5 factors, which coincides with the expansion of a number of group health initiatives together with the annual Dubai Fitness Challenge in Dubai, Active Parks, and Forever Fit initiatives in Abu Dhabi, in addition to different health campaigns in different Emirates.

The Cigna whitepaper reiterates that whereas UAE’s bodily index has grown within the final 4 years, the common international bodily index has dipped. This consists of key international markets such because the UK, Spain, USA, Australia, and China [which recorded a marginal rise from 63.5 to 63.9].

Interestingly, the whitepaper reveals that girls in UAE have gotten fitter – beginning with the bottom bodily well-being rating of 59.2 in 2018, ladies in UAE have risen to 63.2 in 2022. The UAE ladies have thus surpassed not solely international ladies well-being index (which slipped to 58.2) but in addition males globally at 61.7.

In his feedback, Jerome Droesch, CEO of Domestic Health and Health Services – Cigna International Markets, mentioned: “Cigna is deeply invested in understanding the health and well-being needs of the people in the UAE, having invested in research since 2016. We used historic findings from our annual Cigna 360 Well-being Survey to analyse trends in ‘Physical Well-being’ in the UAE and examined the contribution of various health and fitness initiatives undertaken by the government authorities to boost overall physical fitness in the country. Cigna collated the findings in a whitepaper, which reveals interesting insights on people’s changing lifestyles and their adoption of healthier physical fitness and well-being mindset over the past 5-6 years.”

Droesch added: “The whitepaper points out key aspects of the overall well-being levels of UAE’s women compared to both men and women globally. Last month, we announced that UAE has scored the highest across all well-being indices – physical, social, family, financial, and work, as compared to key global markets such as the UK, US, China, Spain, and Australia. Among other governmental measures to improve the quality of life of people in the UAE, improvement in the overall well-being indices can also be attributed towards such fitness-related initiatives in various Emirates.”

The whitepaper additionally provides that extra millennials within the UAE, these within the 25-34 age-group, really feel they’re at a ‘Healthy Weight’ in 2022 – 50 per cent in comparison with 37 per cent in 2020 and are ‘exercising regularly’ – which is about 40 per cent at the moment in comparison with solely 25 per cent in 2020.

In one other attention-grabbing discovering within the whitepaper, working mother and father with youngsters learning within the UAE haven’t solely scored higher than their international counterparts of their bodily well-being rating [66.7 compared to 64 globally], but in addition beat these mother and father working with out youngsters in UAE [65.3].

“Fitness initiatives across the UAE demonstrate the commitment of the government to promote a more active lifestyle in the country. Backed by its world-class infrastructure, these initiatives contribute directly and significantly towards making Dubai and the UAE the preferred place to live and work. Cigna’s whitepaper reinforces this point beyond doubt,” added Droesch.

The eighth annual 360° Global Well-Being Survey 2022 was performed by Cigna in April and May 2022, overlaying 11,922 respondents aged 18-65 years throughout key markets worldwide.