Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Health & Wellness Association of India, I warmly invite you to our inaugural HAWAI conference.

The major killers in modern society are heart disease, stroke and cancer and all have lifestyle choices as common etiology. These issues are particularly relevant to physicians and healthcare professionals in India where cardiac disease and diabetes plague an increasingly overweight and sedentary society. Each day healthcare professionals are on the front lines in the battle to help clients modify harmful behaviors including overeating, lack of physical activity, stress, smoking etc.

To support and supplement this effort, the Health & Wellness Association of India is dedicating its First Annual Conference to discussing Lifestyle Medicine in its various aspects.

The Seminar aims to bring together experts from the various fields of Health and Wellness, to enable better understanding of these disciplines. The program covers discourses and research presentations on the management of lifestyle related diseases, the causes of modern degenerative ailments, and the business offerings to alleviate these disorders.

Beyond the scientific discussions, the Seminar offers an opportunity to participants to bring along with them their families, to whom we offer a healthy holiday, of yoga, meditation and healthy cuisine, within tranquil and rejuvenating surroundings.

Warm Regards,

Prof. Adrian Kennedy
President- HAWAI
Chairman- Lifemed 2007

Secretary's Message

While yesterday's danger to life came from violence and infections, the danger today is the way we live, our habits, our modern day lifestyle. While drawing room discussions on health are common, very few of us implement this in practice. To make matters worse, advice on health improvement meets with an oft-repeated set of excuses. “I'm too busy to exercise" - "I don't have time to relax " - "I have to grab a quick bite in between jobs" - " who says I need to lose weight."

As a result, our high pressured, short on time, ever expanding affluent middle class population is constantly looking for quick fix, no sweat solutions to health problems. Responding to this need, the Health and Wellness Association of India is conducting its First National Conference on the subject of Lifestyle Medicine. The aim of this Conference Lifemed 2007 is to provide scientific solutions to Individuals and professionals in the Health and Wellness Business.

Attending the upcoming HAWAI Annual Conference on Lifemed at Taramati Baradari, A.P Tourism Resort, Hyderabad, on February 3, 2007, is therefore a must for persons interested in advocating Health and Wellness. The conference will provide a forum for sharing of ideas by renowned practioners, for presenting of best practices by Wellness Organisations, and will also provide an opportunity to individuals and corporates to present research work being carried out.

While you deliberate, your family will be able to enjoy the relaxed enviroment of the venue, participate in yoga and meditation, eat health foods, and absorb the historical beauty of the host city.

Lifemed 2007 offers an opprtunity for participants to implement health at an indivudual level of body, mind and spirit, as well as take this to the collective commuinty.

Looking forward to having you here.

Prof. Savita Date Menon
Organizing Secretary
Lifemed 2007

About the Association

In order to combat the relentless advance of modern lifestyle diseases in India, a need was felt to form an association of knowledgeable persons, who could deliberate on causes, advise on solutions and influence organizations and societies towards Lifestyle change. Accordingly, the Health & Wellness Association of India was incorporated.

The objective of the association is to function as an apex body for Health & Wellness in India, provide leadership & assistance, validate research, facilitate wellness professional's pursuit of Continuing Medical Education, counsel people with respect to Health & Wellness demystify current trends and benchmark best practices followed by the Health Industry.

The Health & Wellness Association proposes to be the first national professional society that integrates people specializing in the various disciplines of Health & Wellness. HAWAI's members are clinicians in medical specialties- teaching and/or research, educational facilitators, fitness therapists, registered & practical nurses, licensed social workers, psychologists/mental health therapists, dieticians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, sports medicine specialists, lifestyle medicine specialists, emergency medicine professionals, alternative medical practitioners and many other specialist health care providers.