Obesity Problem

Recent reports show that already 10 - or 10.8 per cent of the population are obese. This may seem like a small number but estimations show that by the two decades, this figure would potentially triple, and this is a indeed a worrying trend.

There are many reasons and causes that lead to this mysterious trend. As a netizen pointed out, due to increasing urban development and industrialization, coupled with Singapore's already small land space, there are really indeed less "playing field" and other outdoor space and facilities. This attributes to the inability for children to gather together to play outdoor games, especially in urban areas, where the at 15 minutes walk to "nearby" parks further discourages children from stepping out of their comfort zone in their homes.

Not only is there inconvenience for outdoor activities nowadays, there is also increasing convenience for indoor activities, such as using the computer and going to the internet over the past decade. From the introduction of computer, macintosh and advanced software, to increasing broadband speeds (1 gb), and more and more internet social networking platforms, games etc. The computer indeed provides much convenience in work, as well as fun entertainment for modern kids.

And all these really do discourage "computer couches" from exercising, walking, as well as carrying out other activities outdoors. It seems that their most frequent position is that of sitting in front of the computer, since they can also interact with the world through email and networking sites. Lack of exercise, even small exercise such as walking causes the accumulation of fats, which will eventually lead to obesity.

The seriousness of the problem is further gravitated by the fact that at the turn of the century, food is and will never be as healthy as before. For example, it has become difficult to find chicken without steroids nowadays. With advanced technology, even potato can be fried over 4 times again to ensure that it is heated! The general increase in oil and unhealthiness in food greatly explains the increase in acne, body oil and fats in youths today.

So what? Reports show that today, 47% of people over 60 years old have either heart attack, diabetes or stroke problems, whereas the figure was only around 24% 30 years ago. This clearly illustrates how an unhealthy lifestyle would lead to serious health problems.

Medical science has also proven that obese people have generally less stamina, physical endurance and energy. This can easily be translated to frequent spells of fatigue and lack of energy experienced in work, that might affect work performance.

And not only are obese people physically compromised, being fat my also affect their psychological well-being too. It is a foregone conclusion that obesity has always carried that heaviest social stigma, alongside with pre-marital pregnancy and bachelorship at old age. Manifestations of this can be even spotted in school where discriminatory terms such as "fatso", "freak", "pig" are common.

As such, it is vital that we protect our own well-being - in health, physical, and psychological by at least not only watching the food we eat, but also maintaining a exercise routine that can be sticked to consistently.