Dr. Tanupol Virunhagarun, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of BDMS Wellness Clinic said “Wellness tourism had gained more interest from tourists around the world. It is considered to be the future of Thailand’s medical tourism industry, an area of which is growing rapidly and the trend is set to continue once borders open Post COVID-19. BDMS Wellness Clinic, as specialist in preventive and personalized medicine, sees the growth potential of this sector and decided to join forces with Minor Hotels – one of the nation’s largest hotel operators with over 535 hotels and over 75,000 guestrooms under its umbrella - in responding to tourists’ need for a restorative trip.”
“With this collaboration, the new Wellness Destination has been launched under the name “BDMS Wellness Clinic Retreat at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort”. Located on the bank of the Chao Phraya amidst lush tropical garden and riverside setting, this newly opened Preventive Health Care Center is providing ways in which guests can feel connected to nature while receiving counseling and medical services from a professional team.” Dr. Tanupol concludes.
“The COVID-19 pandemic raised an alarm over health-conscious people as well as tourists. More consumers became more interested in preventive and incorporate wellness into their lifestyles. Hence wellness tourists spent more time and more money per trip than the typical domestic tourist.” says William E. Heinecke, Chairman of Minor International Plc. “According to the recent research “The Global Wellness Economy: Looking beyond COVID-19” conducted by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the growth of global wellness tourism is expected to reach the value of US$7 trillion by 2025. Thailand also becomes the third country to be spotlighted on GWI’s “Geography of Wellness” microsite. As Minor Hotels recognizes the increasing importance of Wellness Tourism or health tourism, we believe this is the right time for the collaboration between BDMS Wellness Clinic and Minor Hotels in launching BDMS Wellness Clinic Retreat at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort. With BDMS’s expertise in healthcare, Preventive Medicine and Personalized Medicine combine with the prime location and relaxing atmosphere of our hotel, we have confidence that our health-conscious guests will be touched by true wellness and these challenges will surely provide many opportunities to all parties involved.” William E. Heinecke concluded.
To mark this special occasion, Health and Wellness Summit was held on October 10, 2022 following the opening remarks delivered by Dr. Poramaporn Prasarttong-osoth, President of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS), joining the summit as speakers were Dr. Tanupol Virunhagarun, M.D., William E. Heinecke, Prof. Keith L Black, M.D. and Prof. Jirí Dvorák, M.D. The event took place at Chao Phraya Ballroom, Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort.
The topics include:
The Keys to long lasting brain health by Prof. Keith L Black, M.D. a world renowned neurosurgeon with a prolific body of work. With his expertise on brain diseases and tumors, he emphasized the important duty of the brain and how to optimize brain health and wellness as you age to prevent degenerating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Parkinson’s disease. The number of people getting Alzheimer’s disease is increasing as we live longer. It is the cause of medical conditions we are not getting treated for– like high blood pressure and diabetes. So, eating less processed sugar, managing and maintaining proper weight, and regular exercise - things you hear about that can decrease your risk of getting high blood pressure and diabetes, can also decrease your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Black said “The good news is that a lifestyle change can interrupt the onslaught of Alzheimer’s and save countless lives. Alzheimer’s disease may be incurable, but simply adopting a healthy, balanced lifestyle can help keep your brain healthy far longer.
Silver Age: Exercise Pills and Balanced Nutrition by Prof. Jirí Dvorák, M.D. whose main specialism on Neurology and Spinal injuries and conditions, Sports Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. He promotes a healthy lifestyle through to research on the impact of exercise; an advocate on the prescribed 30-minute ‘exercise pill’ and importance of nutrition.
Physical inactivity is one of the most significant problems of the twenty-first century. Today, more than a hundred thousand published papers testify to the connection between exercise and health. After the age of forty, all of us, even the athletic, lose about eight per cent of our muscle mass each decade, with a further fifteen-per-cent decline between the ages of seventy and eighty.
The resulting frailty can be lethal. Regular exercise can improve muscle mass. Studies also revealed that a lack of exercise was tied to the early onset of more than forty chronic diseases or conditions, from constipation and colon cancer to depression and diabetes.
Working out regularly really does change the brain biology. The exercise pill also keeps your brain healthy, improves memory function, cognitive performance and academic achievement as well as protects it against depression and anxiety.