Hundreds of people attended the seventh annual Argus Health Fair in a bid to get more heart healthy.The fair featured 35 booths with information on a variety of health issues from asthma to oral care in addition to free health screenings and mini-massages.The Argus Group had its own booth with the theme ‘I love my heart’.President Gerald Simons said he hoped the event would create more awareness on health issues and lead people to make positive changes in their lives.He said heart disease, which is largely preventable, was the cause of nearly half the deaths in Bermuda each year, making it the Island’s biggest killer.“At the booth we hope to counteract this startling statistic by providing information on the risk factors of heart disease.“In particular, we will be helping the public to introduce ‘heart healthy’ foods into the family diet with a handy shopping tool developed by Argus, along with information about the brands and products to look for here in Bermuda.“These dietary changes can also help with managing diabetes and controlling weight, two other major health concerns on the Island.”People of all ages turned up to get information, including attendee Cheryl Williams, 58, who has regularly attended the fair.She said: “There is a lot of interesting stuff they can tell you about your blood pressure and different things you can read up on. And its important to keep up with your health because you never know when sickness can hit you.”Roberta Robinson said the tables that interested her were very helpful and said she was impressed with the full range of health issues covered.“I was very impressed with the response from the public. They were lined up from 10.30am,” she added.Personal trainer Elinor Lucas, from the Argus gym, was on hand teaching people basic exercises they can do in their own homes to improve their cardiovascular health.Catherine Burns, Argus’ wellness manager, spent the day familiarising people with healthy food brands in a bid to get them to feel more comfortable making the right choices.“I hope people leave here with a bit of empowerment when it comes to making changes over their own health,” she said.“If they want to have a healthy and lively old age rather than an old age filled with disease then often the choice is theirs.”In past years, around 2,000 people have turned up for the fair, which Mr Simons calls “very significant” for a population of nearly 60,000.He said the fair aims to encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles, which aligns with the 11th strategy under the National Health Plan, unveiled by Health Minister Zane DeSilva this year.lUseful website: www.argus.bm.