Marine Drive fitness folk may think they’re on the right health track

Travel along Marine Drive, between Wellawatte and Bambalapitiya, and you will see scores of people exercising. They walk, jog, stretch, and do all sorts of fat- burning exercises. They range from the very young and energetic to the elderly and feeble. At six in the morning you will see at least a hundred exercise enthusiasts doing their workout routines along Marine Drive.

Even little businesses have sprung up along the road to cater to the exercise fans. You have stalls that sell all manner of things from energy drinks and herbal porridge to snacks and newspapers. Colombo society appears to think it is on the right track in terms of health.

Now fast forward to evening, around 6 p.m. This is the hour when private hospitals in and around Colombo are packed with patients suffering from a variety of ailments, from the common cold to heart disease. Patients range from the rich to the poor and those struggling to make ends meet. It is no wonder the healthcare industry is enjoying a boom.

How did a seemingly healthconscious society become so susceptible to disease?

The grim fact is all the aerobic exercises in the world cannot battle unhealthy lifestyles.

Our ancestors built monumental structures with their bare hands, lifting boulders and putting in place mighty stone pillars. Most of us cannot bend over to