WCMC-Q creates national excitement: helping to create world’s longest painting in Qatar!
Qatar’s residents and citizens, from the youngest to the oldest, currently have the chance to help try to create the world’s biggest painting in an event organized by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q).
The college – along with its strategic partners the Supreme Council of Health, the Supreme Education Council, Qatar Petroleum, Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd, ExxonMobil, and Vodafone Qatar – is in the middle of holding Paint Your Healthy Future as part of its Your Health First campaign.
Paint Your Healthy Future has seen giant canvasses placed in malls around Doha. Each canvas has been printed with a stencil and members of the public – particularly children – are being encouraged to set their inner artist free and use paint to color in the picture.
At the end of the project, each canvas will be attached together to create a painting that will hopefully be a record-breaker. For that to happen, though, Qatar’s population has to give their support, as the current record for longest painting stands at 7,166 meters. So far, however, the signs are very positive: when the scheme was publicly unveiled the canvasses were inundated with children and families eager to take their turn in painting the mural. The public enthusiasm continued, and just ten days after they were installed, the canvasses are already being covered with fantastic artworks, with people of all ages keen to pick up a paintbrush and get involved. The diversity and quality of the designs and pictures painted so far demonstrate an innate talent for art among Qatar’s population, as well as a keen interest in embracing healthy lifestyles.
In addition to the canvas, informative brochures about healthy lifestyles and free electronic pedometers that allow users to record their daily activity levels and set targets to increase them were distributed to all participants. Participants also received Body Mass Index (BMI) measuring devices, with which they can calculate how much of their body is composed of fat and how much is muscle, a crucial measurement for determining overall health.
Dr. Javaid Sheikh, Dean of WCMC-Q, said Paint Your Healthy Future is an opportunity for people to take part in a world record bid while also learning about the best way to lead a healthy life. Dr. Sheikh added: “The Your Health First campaign aims to educate both the Qatari and expatriate communities so that they can make informed, healthy, lifestyle choices. We can then help create a healthy population able to contribute to Qatar’s knowledge-based society in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030. “But education must also be enjoyable if people are to engage with and accept the advice offered. That is why Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar is hosting events such as Paint Your Healthy Future – to engage and entertain people while providing a serious message.”
Along with the canvasses, doctors and dietitians are on hand to answer questions from members of the public. There are health-related promotions and brochures with tips on living a healthy lifestyle. Representatives from WCMC-Q provide all the water-based, environmentally friendly paints and brushes needed for the challenge.
The canvasses have been placed in Villaggio, Landmark, City Center and Hyatt Plaza and WCMC-Q extends its sincere thanks to the management of the malls for their support for the Paint Your Healthy Future event.
