A time for health cover incentives

The term “Dubai stone” was popularised to describe the extra weight many people, Emiratis and expatriates alike, put on when they take advantage of the wealth of food options here – see our editorial below celebrating the charms of several different cuisines – and succumb to leading a less active life, particularly in the summer months. With a well-established correlation between being overweight and significant health problems, including hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, this needs to be addressed.

While the need to improve health is unquestioned, how to do so is a far more vexing question. The primary responsibility has to remain on each of us, but part of the answer also lies with the government, which has put a lot of effort into removing some of the barriers to a more active lifestyle. This includes building facilities where one can walk, run or play sports regardless of the temperature outside and it also includes an educative role, ensuring everyone is aware of risks to their health and about healthy eating alternatives.

Of course more can still be done but none of this will succeed without a personal commitment from each of us, which is why we need to praise the incentive system being mooted by Daman, the UAE's largest insurer, for people to live healthy lives.

Dubai Health Authority has endorsed this approach with Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, its director of health funding, saying it represents “the future”. The authority has suggested the awarding of points that can be redeemed through free access to specialised health professionals or services, healthy meal vouchers, gym membership and free subscriptions to health magazines.

Many people here will still suffer from weight-related health problems, often the consequence of lifestyles going back decades, and of course they will be covered. Health insurance is, after all, for sick people rather than healthy ones. But putting effort into preventing them falling prey to avoidable health problems in the first place is a worthwhile endeavour. We can concur with the authority: this is indeed part of the future of health care.