FitForLife health fair makes its way to Penang

PETALING JAYA: The FitForLife health fair will be making its debut in Penang from Oct 16 to 18 at the Spice Arena in Bayan Lepas.

The event is an extension of the FitForLife annual fair held in Kuala Lumpur.

There will be exhibitions, health and lifestyle talks and exciting stage activities, with cash prizes to be won.

Visitors will get to experience the latest trends in all aspects of fitness, health and well-being - from diet to nutrition, exercise, stress management, beauty and more.

FitForLife Penang is organised by The Star, with Great Eastern Life (GE) as its exclusive event partner for the fifth time running.

Wong (left) with Koh at the launch of the FitForLife health fair.

It will continue to carry the theme "Get Fit. Live Great" – reflecting The Star's and GE's commitment and common goal to promote a healthy lifestyle among Malaysians.

Great Eastern Life director and chief executive officer Datuk Koh Yaw Hui said he is excited to bring the fair to Penang, especially after seeing the tremendous response for the FitForLife events in Kuala Lumpur.

"We've partnered The Star in the last four years and the response for FitForLife has been getting better every year," said Koh, after jointly announcing the event with The Star's group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai at Menara Star here Wednesday.

Just this year, the FitForLife 2015 event was held from April 10-12 at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, KL. Koh said the turnout for the event has been the best so far, with a 30% increase in visitors as compared to 2014.

Koh is expecting the upcoming event to attract over 25000 visitors.

Wong said it was due time to extend major events, especially ones that promote healthy living, beyond the Klang Valley.

"I'm looking forward to the event in Penang particularly because it is my hometown.

"Penangites are known to do a lot of exercise. They are also known for their passion in bicycle riding and every year, they take part in the annual Starwalk, which has a huge turnout, " he said.

While there is a growing trend among Malaysians towards a healthier lifestyle, Koh said it was still a challenge to solidify the message amongst the general public.

"Malaysians are now more aware than ever that having good health is important. Getting a cure for any kind of sickness is becoming very expensive.

"We want to encourage people to live healthily not just for themselves, but also for their families. You need to take good care of yourself because there are others who look towards you for support," said Koh.

Koh added that the FitForLife Penang fair aims to "help turn good intentions into action" when it comes to healthy living.

Among the highlights of the event is the Live Great Dodgeball Open tournaments. Dodgeball clinics will also be conducted for those who want to know more about the sport.

FitForLife 2015 is organised by The Star with Great Eastern Life as the event partner. It will be held in Spice Arena, Bayan Lepas, from Oct 16-18, 11am to 7pm. Admission is free. For enquiries, call 03-7967 1388 (ext 1529/1243) or visit www.facebook.com/starhealthfair.