Singaporeans can get really crazy over food.
For example, bubble tea.
You have the drink version.
The mooncake version.
The toast version.
And in case you didn’t catch the memo, bubble tea’s pretty heavy on the sugar.
But despite our country’s fascination with sweet stuff, the Ministry of Health came up with some surprising news.
Our War Against Sugar is Producing Some Results
It all started with a question from MP Patrick Tay to Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor.
What’s our status on the campaign that was started since 2016?
And she replied, “There are indicators that the efforts in Singapore’s war against sugar are producing some results.”
More Singaporeans Screened
As people say, early detection is half the battle won.
With the health ministry’s Screen for Life (SPF) Programme back in 2017, more than 65,000 Singaporeans were screened for diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
The number is almost 30 times higher than the number of Singaporeans who came forward previously.
More S’poreans Are Getting Active
It seems like everybody knows the secret to get Singaporeans moving. And it’s not Pokemon GO.
It’s free money.
More than 800,000 Singaporeans took part in the Health Promotion Board’s Step Up Challenge, season 4.
In the first season, only about 200,000 Singaporeans took part.
Singaporeans’ Diet Changed Too
Based on a National Nutrition Survey conducted back in 2018, Singaporeans’ diets were shown to have improved.
It was found that we “are consuming more unrefined carbohydrates” and our unsaturated fat intake is taking over our saturated fat intake.
Based on the 2018 National Nutrition Survey, Singaporeans’ diets have also improved, she said.
Total fat consumed also dropped by 2 per cent between 2010 and 2018.
Now, noticed she said some indications, not that we’re winning the war?
Well, That’s Because Sugar and Salt Intake Remains ‘High’
Singaporeans are taking in 60g of sugar daily. That’s more than 2 times over the World Health Organisation’s guideline, which is at 25g per day.
Most of the sugar comes from pre-packaged drinks.
Salt intake is a bit better, with Singaporeans coming in at 9g per day, compared to the recommended intake of 5g per day.
More Local Research
It was added that besides the programmes and initiatives put in place to help combat against diabetes, they’re also conducting research on how effective and impactful their interventions are.
The Singapore government might even set up a research centre dedicated to research on diabetes.
This could help them form their clinical management and policies better.
However, that would be in the future as they will need to scope out the current climate to see the range and full potential of a proposed research centre.
Meanwhile, clinicians and researchers across the sector are collaborating with each other with funding from various sources right now.
All I can say is, diabetes is scary. And while it sounds like it’s something that won’t happen to you (not so suay lah, right), it might.
So stay away from the sugar and get used to drinking teh-o-peng siew dai, yeah?
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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