Shoppers urged to buy into healthy heart advice

The health board is teaming up with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland and Kingsgate shopping centre for an interactive health and well-being event on 26th September.

Specialists will be on hand to give expert advice and practical demonstrations as they encourage West Fifers to buy into healthy living.

A team from Keep Well Scotland will be on site to provide pulse and mini health checks to shoppers, while fitness staff at Fife Sports and Leisure Trust will be bringing along a stepper, which people can try out. Various stalls will also be set up to provide guidance and support on heart health and general well-being.

Dunfermline was officially granted ‘Heart Town’ status by BHF Scotland three years ago to enable the promotion of heart health across the town. This event is the latest in a series of initiatives being held to raise awareness of how to help maintain a healthy heart.

Senior health promotion officer Dianne Williamson said, “This event is being held to promote well-being across Fife and the fact that we are taking it into a busy shopping centre ensures that we are more likely to connect with large numbers of people.

“Taking our healthy living message directly into the community is a crucial way of engaging with the public as, with many busy lifestyles or hectic family lives, many people simply won’t have the time nor the energy to seek out the necessary information for themselves. This event is completely interactive and will involve practical demonstrations from groups such as the Fife Sport and Leisure Trust and BHF Scotland, as well as informative stalls relating to a number of issues, such as lung cancer awareness and maintaining a healthy weight for young children. Ultimately simple measures such as taking regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, and being aware of things such as alcohol intake, smoking, blood pressure and stress can all be important in helping to ensure long-term health.”