Riyadh, July 06 (QNA) - The Gulf Health Council released a comprehensive guide as part of its awareness campaign "Choose Healthy" to encourage healthier lifestyles across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The guide provides practical, easy-to-follow advice to help people make healthier daily choices, with a focus on using digital tools and smart applications to support decisions related to nutrition and physical activity.

Launched as part of the campaign running from June 28 to July 11, the guide aims to equip the public with practical information that promotes balanced and sustainable health habits.

The Council said adopting a healthy lifestyle does not require drastic changes but can begin with simple daily habits such as planning meals, choosing more nutritious foods, and making better use of healthy options available in everyday environments.

The guide also highlights the significance of preparing balanced meals based on moderation, variety, and appropriate portion sizes.

On physical activity, the Council encourages incorporating movement into daily routines at home, work, parks, shopping malls, or through activities with family and friends. It recommends walking, using stairs instead of elevators where possible, and performing simple home exercises.

According to the Council, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, such as brisk walking, a target that can be achieved through accessible activities including walking in parks or climate-controlled shopping malls.

The guide also highlights the benefits of digital technology in supporting healthy lifestyles. Citing a 2022 study, the Council mentioned that wearable devices helped users increase their daily step count by an average of 2,200 steps, while mobile applications featuring challenges, rewards, and progress tracking were linked to higher physical activity levels and improvements in body weight and body mass index.

The Council added that nutrition-related applications and digital platforms can support healthier eating by providing nutritional information, meal recommendations, ratings, alerts, and tools that help users choose meals suited to their health needs and lifestyles.

It noted that many food choices are shaped by automatic habits and environmental influences, with studies indicating that more than 90 percent of dietary decisions are made subconsciously or in response to surrounding conditions.

The Council stressed the need for increasing awareness and creating supportive personal and digital environments that make healthy choices easier to adopt. (QNA)