What is the obesity rate in Singapore
News Highlights
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Dr Chia Shi-Lu
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC
Question No. 3342
To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether he can provide an update on the current rates of obesity in children, adults and the elderly respectively; (b) how do these figures compare with those of previous years; and (c) what has been the progress and effectiveness of measures to reduce obesity among Singaporeans.
Written Answer
1 Based on the 2017 National Population Health Survey, the prevalence of obesity[1] among adult Singaporeans aged 18 to 59 years was 8.9%, and that among seniors aged 60 to 74 years was 6.9%. This has remained stable since 2013. The proportion of overweight[2] children in our mainstream schools, aged 6 to 18 years, has increased from 11% in 2013 to 13% in 2017[3].
2 MOH and HPB work with other government agencies to combat obesity through the promotion of physical activity and better diets, such as eating more healthily and reducing daily sugar consumption. This is also in line with our overall strategy in Singapores War on Diabetes.3 To promote healthier diets, HPB has introduced programmes such as the Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) and Healthier Dining Programme (HDP) to increase the availability of healthier options, as well as campaigns such as the Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy Challenge to incentivise healthier purchases. To further create a healthy food environment, HDB and HPB collaborated to include the provision of healthy meals as a consideration in Price-Quality tenders for new eating houses, awarding more points for tenderers that offer healthy meal options. In partnership with MOE and ECDA, HPB has also implemented healthy meals programmes[4] in all mainstream schools and 8 in 10 preschools, to inculcate healthy eating habits from young. These efforts are complemented by health education outreach in schools in partnership with stakeholders such as South-West Community Development Council, Sengkang General Hospital, and National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Council; and at workplaces where HPB works with industry partners to roll out relevant workplace health promotion programmes such as workshops and health coaching.
4 These programmes have contributed to better diets. From the National Nutrition Survey 2018, Singaporeans are consuming fewer calories, better-quality carbohydrates consisting more wholegrain, fruits and vegetables, as well as substituting saturated fat with unsaturated fat. However, our sugar intake remains high at 60g per person per day. As such, we will be introducing new regulatory measures for pre-packaged sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), namely nutrition labelling and advertising prohibitions for less healthy SSBs.
5 To encourage exercise, HPB, SportSG, and Peoples Association offer a wide range of physical activity programmes and sport facilities island-wide. MOE also makes facilities and sports equipment available beyond the formal curriculum time to encourage better utilisation. There are targeted programmes, such as those that cater to at-risk Professional, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMET) at the workplace to increase the adoption of a more active lifestyle. For seniors, Active Ageing Programmes (AAPs) are also made available at over 600 locations island-wide where the elderly can participate in group exercises and health workshops.
6 Recognising how our living environment can influence behaviours, our infrastructure agencies such as MND, MOT and others have strived to build a city that encourages active lifestyles and mobility. This includes more than 350 parks and gardens, 200km of covered link-ways, and 440km of cycling paths and park connectors; and there are plans to further enhance the living environment to support a more physically active citizenry. All these efforts have led to encouraging results 80.9% of Singaporeans had sufficient total physical activity in 2017, up from 73.1% in 2013.
7 Reducing obesity in our population requires coordinated and continuous efforts from all relevant stakeholders. In the long term, such efforts may also lead to a reduction in the prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension and their accompanying complications. MOH will continue to monitor the trends in obesity, physical activity, and nutritional habits of Singaporeans, and work with the other government agencies and the wider society to tackle this issue.
[1] Obesity is defined as having a body mass index equal to or greater than 30 kg/m2.
[2] Childhood overweight is defined as 90th percentile of BMI-for-age.
[3] Source: Ministry of Education, students from Primary Schools to Junior College/Centralised Institutes.
[4] Healthy Meals in Schools Programme (HMSP); Healthy Meals in Preschools Programme (HMPP)
List of countries by obesity rate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2023) |
This is a list of countries ranked by the proportion of the population that is obese. The data, barring the United States, is derived from The World Factbook authored by the Central Intelligence Agency,[1] which gives the adult prevalence rate for obesity, defined as "the percent of a country's population considered to be obese". Data for U.S. obesity prevalence is derived from CDC data, recorded through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in March 2017 2020.[2]
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Obesity in Singapore: It's Not a Small World
They say the world has shrunkand Singapore, at its crossroads, has happily benefited through the years. With development, weve also seen better nutrition, more food choices and more comfortable lifestyles. All this means that far from shrinking, our residents are growing larger!
Obesity Rates in Singapore and Around the World
It's a trend that is becoming too obvious around the world. Global obesity has more than doubled since 1980 and has health professionals terming it a "rising epidemic". In 2020, the World Health Organisation reported that 39% of adults were overweight, and 13% were obese. Regionally, the Americas topped the overweight list at 61.3%, followed by the Europeans at 58.6%; weighing in at 26.8% and 23% respectively for obesity.
However, before we start patting ourselves on the back, we should be aware of our rising obesity rate.
Based on the 2021/2022 National Population Health Survey, the crude prevalence of obesity (10.5%) among residents aged 18 to 74 years in 2021-2022 had increased from 2019/2020's (10.5%) Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity remained higher in males than in females, with an increase in obesity rates observed. Specifically, the prevalence of obesity among males rose from 11.9% to 13.1%, while among females, it increased from 9.3% to 10.2%. When comparing among the age groups, obesity was highest among adults aged 40 to 49 years at 15.0%.
Are You Overweight?
Obesity occurs when your body has accumulated excess body fat to the extent that your health is adversely affected, and you become at risk of developing chronic diseases. Here are twoways to give yourself a quick check-up:
Body Mass Index (BMI) | This is thewidely-accepted method of categorising your weight, based on a formula derived from your height and weight. Body Mass Index or BMI is calculated as: weight (kg) height (m) x height (m) A BMI of 18.5 22.9 is considered healthy, whereas a result over 23 means your health is at risk. You are considered obese if you have a BMI of 30 and above. |
Waist circumference | Monitor your waist circumference as well as your weight. Compared to BMI, waist circumference is a better measure of body fat and is often used to assess cardiovascular risk. If your waist size is above 80cm for Asian women, and 90cm for Asian men, take care! This implies abdominal obesity. You can measure your waist circumference using a measuring tape. This is done close to the skin and ensuring that the tape is in between the lower ribs and navel. Measure during exhalation. |
Related: BMI Calculator
Respect Your Body, Respect Yourself
Beyond the way you look (because everybody is unique), your goal should be to be healthy. According to the Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board, obesity is not so much a lifestyle disease as it is a lifestyle choice. That means you can decide to live life better!
When you make that decision to live well and eat well, your health, fitness and self-esteem all get a mega boost that leaves you feeling good inside and out.
Needless to say, the best time to start with healthy habits is when you are young. Youll be doing your future self a huge favour because its going to get that much harder to lose weight and change bad habits once they are part of you.
Related: Loving and Accepting Yourself
Don't Just Sit There, Do Something!
Before you jump the gun, know that its important to set a realistic goal. Be flexible, and adjust this along the way. You could aim to lose 0.5kg to 1kg per week.
Exercise
Exercise offers substantial health benefits regardless of what shape youre currently in! Start with small measures: Take the stairs. Take exercise breaks in between study or work hours. Make time for play. Your goal is to get regular physical activity throughout the daythat's at least 60minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity per day for teens and150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week for adults.
When youve got that going, why not add an extra dose of fun and fitness with a gym class or outdoor activity? Achieve your healthy weight more quickly (especially for those of us with a high BMI and carrying too much excess weight), gradually increasing the duration or frequency of your existing aerobic activities and include muscle-strengthening exercises at least 2 days per week. Muscle building promotes overall body fat loss, especially keeping that dangerous fat around your organs in check.
Nutrition
Little changes count. Cut down on sugar, fat and salt; increase your fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake. Make those calories count with nutrient-rich foods. Try to eat in moderation and do not exceed the recommended calorie intake. UseMy Healthy Plateas a guide, and stick to regular mealtimes.
Those of us who have started work may find it difficult to adhere to regular mealtimes because of a busier schedule. But it is important to take some time out for a quick healthy meal instead of skipping meals as we may end up feeling hungry and overeating later.
Don't forget to drink lots of plain water! If you are counting calories, consuming 500kcal less than your estimated daily requirement could see you lose half a kilogram a week. How's that for weight loss!?
Mental Stamina
Once youve got the mindset to succeed, nothings going to hold you back! Surround yourself with supportive friends and family. Learn to ignore marketing tactics when you buy food. Instead, train your eyes to spot Healthier Choice Symbols for a wiser choice.
It may take a little while, but the excess weight will come off. Youll discover more energy and think more clearly too. Uncover a confident new you!
Give yourself an incentive by joining one of our programmes. Youll be more likely to succeed and might even surprise yourself by exceeding your expectations. Not least, itll be a whole lot of fun.
HPB has a whole range of physical activity programmes suitable for anyone, anytime, anywhere! Youre bound to find something that fires your enthusiasm.
Download the HealthHub app on Google Play or Apple Store to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.
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OPEN Singapore
Obesity in Singapore an overview
In 2020, 10.5% of adults aged 18 to 74 years old were living with obesity in Singapore, an increase from 8.6% in 2017. The prevalence of obesity among children aged six to 18 years has also been gradually increasing from 13% in 2017 to 16% in 2021.
The rising prevalence of obesity in Singapore can in part be attributed to busy lifestyles, easy availability of energy-dense and nutritionally depleted fast food and hawker food, as well as a lack of exercise.
Obesity has wide-reaching health implications for Singaporeans, including a heightened risk of non-communicable diseases, in particular Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The socioeconomic costs are also significant. The total costs of obesity as a percentage of healthcare spending in Singapore was estimated to be above 2.9% in a study from 2017. A recent study authored by researchers at the Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore found that people with obesity have 37% higher healthcare costs and the estimated national cost in medical expenditures and absenteeism is SGD 261 million.
To prevent and reverse the growing prevalence of obesity, the Singapore government has proactively introduced health-promoting public policies and guidelines focused on physical activity and nutrition, such as the Healthy Meals in Schools Programme and National Steps Challenge.
When it comes to treatment options, progress has been made where there exist multidisciplinary obesity treatment centres in Singapore, which comprimise of clinicians, nurses and allied health profressionals, to provide integrated care for people living with obesity.
Across the Southeast Asia region, Singapore has some of the most advanced initiatives when it comes to obesity prevention and management. However, more can be done to ensure that there is uptake of these initiatives. This includes addressing stigma, which prevents health-seeking behaviour, aswell as issues of access.
