Sunny Health

In a recently conducted survey by the Heath Promotion Board (HPB), it was discovered that one out of ten Singaporeans were overweight.

*Horror*

Granted, we’re still a long way off the obesity rates of countries like the US and UK (in the US, one in three people were obese). But don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. It seems that Singapore’s rate of obesity among its population – a 0.65 per cent increase from the year 2004 – is similar to these countries. What this means is that if nothing is done to curb this trend soon, we’ll end up having to shop for clothes a few sizes larger than usual in the not too distant future.

So what does this boil down to? Simple. Singaporeans are not getting enough exercise and they’re not eating healthily. What’s even more worrying is that all of this is happening in spite the efforts of the HPB in promoting awareness, healthy living programmes with emphasis on exercise and a healthy diet.

Remember, taking small steps is often better that asking to drastically change entire lifestyles overnight. Let us not kid ourselves with instant fixes. The changes we seek can only come about with diligence over time. So immerse yourself in supportive environments, skip the finger food, be an informed customer when it comes to nutritional values of food. The list goes on. With every small success, won’t you feel motivated to do much more? I know I am.

We’re losing the battle of the bulge but we can still win the war.