Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

In the 21st century, the escalating worldwide adoption of modern lifestyles; often characterized by unhealthy food habits especially overeating and obesity in combination with inadequate physical, psychological and spiritual exercises, stress at home, stress at work and living in an increasingly polluting environment, is resulting in widespread ailments and diseases, including diabetes, depression and mental stress, blood pressure and hypertension and more. This escalating adoption of modern lifestyles around the world is of concern as most countries will simply not have the Medicare resources to confront these emerging health burdens. At Zen Resort Bali, our vision is to create holistic wellness systems where guests experience the knowledge and means to achieving personal harmony with their body, mind and spirit through healthy nutrition and diet in combination with Ayurveda therapy, yoga, meditation, pranayama and holiday recreational activities as well as emotional wellbeing. We need to draw on the vast knowledge of traditional medicine from around the world and integrate this with modern medicine, recognizing that a human being is a whole living organism rather than merely a combination of parts, systems and symptoms. The challenge here is to integrate traditional and modern medicine and health care to deliver the right mix of preventive, restorative and curative care to enhance and balance body, mind and spiritual health. The aim of the workshop, recalling Hippocrates, “Food is thy medicine and medicine is thy food” is to initiate a dialogue amongst the participants on how governments and civil society can be mobilized for a compact to change course towards adopting healthy food consumption and sustainable lifestyles, especially through school and college healthy eating programs as well as mobilizing science and research towards ensuring sustainable and nutritionally balanced food production and consumption. We will also present a number of innovations at Zen including Zendiet comprising dosha balanced food consumption and Zenchi physically, mentally and spiritually balanced exercise.

Biography

Mahendra Shah has more than 40 years of professional experience in academia at University of Nairobi and University of Cambridge, United Nations organizations and agencies such as FAO, WFP, UNDP, etc. and the World Bank and international scientific and policy research institutes like International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). His professional work is concerned with food security, nutrition and health, sustainable agricultural development and international trade, sustainable development, climate change and international negotiations. In the private sector, since 2004, he is the Founder and President-Director of Zen Resort Bali, where the vision is to create holistic wellness systems where guests experience the knowledge and means to achieving personal harmony with their body, mind and spirit through healthy nutrition and diet in combination with Ayurveda therapy, yoga, meditation, pranayama and holiday recreational activities as well as emotional healing.

E-mail: shahmmr@gmail.com