By Ike Uchechukwu

As part of efforts to inculcate healthy lifestyle into people living in Cross River, the Healthy Billionaires Fitness Club has marked the world heart day with a 12 kilometer walk.

This is on the heels of creating awareness as it concerns healthy heart as more persons including young people now die of Heart failure.

The theme of this year’s Heart day “Harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention, and management of CVD globally” is part of efforts of the club in collaboration with the state ministry of health to make sure that people are in good health both in body and mind.

Speaking with Vanguard, the Chairman of Healthy Billionaires Fitness Club, Mr William Archibong Jr explained that the objective of the walk was to encourage fitness and healthy lifestyle, which invariably leads to a more productive mind.

“It is not enough to work from Monday to Saturday or Sunday; you must find time to keep fit and shed off excess weight.

“It will not only help you to be mentally fit and be in a position to cope with your activities but it also makes the individual have a sound mind with clarity and ultimately focused to achieving set goals and make visions become a reality and more importantly stay alive ,’’ he said.

Speaking with newsmen, Commissioner for health, Dr Betta Edu disclosed that the walk was part of activities to mark world heart day as well as create awareness so that the people can understand the dangers of Cardiovascular disease and the need to exercise in other to keep fit as one major part of preventive healthy living.

Dr Edu disclosed that Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the world’s number one killer, resulting in 18.6 million deaths a year across the globe.

She further explained that some causes of the disease ranges from smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity including air pollution, and less common conditions such as Chagas disease and cardiac amyloidosis stressing that everyone should reduce the intake of alcohol and cigarettes.

On his part, the CEO of Hit 95.9 FM,Mr. Patrick Ugbe described the Walkaton 2.0 as a good innovation that will in no small way boost the tourism potentials of the state .

Ugbe said the event was now a yearly thing that will only get bigger and better as this was the second edition of the walk .

He added that they got interest in the event as a lifestyle radio station because it promotes good health which has huge health benefits to a large number of persons living in state and beyond.