Wellness and health in Lebanon: current status and potential for growth
August 7, 2018
Health and wellness have long been an integral part of Middle Eastern culture. The most common Arabic phrase used for greeting someone
keef el-sohat? asks after a person’s health. Another common phrase used in Lebanon specifically is yatik el-afyeh (may God grant you wellness), used as a greeting but also for when someone is engaged in physical labor or has had a busy day.
While our language may emphasize the value we Lebanese place on health and wellness, our habits and activities have gradually shifted away over the years as a result of exposure to unhealthy trends in food and lifestyle. “The Lebanese basically have a very healthy diet, but it has been unfortunately transformed by imported American trends,” says Alice Edde, co-owner of Eddésands Hotel & Wellness Resort. “But the Lebanese are very beauty conscious, so anything that had to do with weight loss was always a big succes