Qatar gave over a million people a day off on Tuesday to exercise, as the country fights a battle against obesity, with 73 percent of the population classified as overweight or obese and 45 percent of women gained weight in 2014, according to a study by the royal-chartered Qatar Biobank medical institute.
Qatar's government celebrated National Sport Day by organizing a screening of the movie Rocky, as well as beach volleyball, jogging and walking events.
"It is not meant for one day. One day is like… the wake-up call, to make you understand how sport is important in your life," secretary-general of Qatar's Olympic Committee, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani announced.
One of the events at the holiday is the so-called "diet shop," in which cash prizes are given to Qataris who lost the most weight in the past year.
According to the Qatar Biobank study, only two in 10 Qataris do any kind of exercise at least once a week, and 76 percent of men and 70 percent of women are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
