Life's Better And Brighter When We Get Healthy Together!

National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (NHLC) 2010 inspires everyone to take small steps towards health and happiness by getting Healthy Together with family and friends
Let s Get Healthy Together is this year s National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (NHLC) 2010 rally call to inspire Singapore residents to take small and enjoyable steps with friends, family, colleagues at the workplace, or in the community, to fight obesity together.

2 NHLC 2010 focuses on obesity. It continues to build on the momentum generated in the past year which had focused on getting Singapore residents to know their Body Mass Index (BMI). Singapore, similar to other developed countries the world over, faces an uphill challenge of fighting a rising prevalence of obesity. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also declared obesity to be a global epidemic and has been spearheading a series of consultations and awareness campaigns to raise awareness of the global rising trend of obesity.

The Challenge Ahead for Singapore
3 In Singapore, the National Health Survey (NHS) 2010 findings indicate a 0.65% annual increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past six years, from 6.9% in 2004 to 10.8% in 2010. Although Singapore s obesity statistics are not as high compared to that of other developed countries (Refer to Annexe A), failing to address the obesity issue now can result in severe consequences for public health.

Strategies and Framework for Obesity
4 The rise in obesity can be attributed broadly to a sedentary lifestyle as a greater proportion of Singapore residents are now engaged in more sedentary occupations (Refer to Annexe B). Although more Singapore residents are engaging in moderate- and vigorous-intensity leisure-time exercises on a regular basis, more than half the population remain physically inactive and do not engage in any form of sports or exercise that lasted for at least 20 minutes per occasion. (Refer to Annexe C). More Singapore residents are also eating out, according to results of the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 2010 (Refer to Annexe D).

5 For this reason, HPB has been developing and strengthening a comprehensive and holistic four-prong strategy to combat obesity: Policies and Guidelines; Education and Empowerment; Creating Supportive Environments; and Monitoring and Surveillance.

Policies and Guidelines
6 HPB has been and will continue to review and introduce new policies and guidelines across various aspects vital to create a healthy lifestyle. Some upcoming announcements and works slated for 2011 include Physical Activity Guidelines, not just for promotion of general well-being but also for obesity prevention and control; Guidelines on responsible food marketing to the young; Revisions to the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for Childhood Obesity; and the development of a Healthy Origins Programme (HOPE) and Firm Foundations Programme (Refer to Annexe E).

Education and Empowerment
7 HPB has always taken innovative and lifestyle approaches towards educating and empowering individuals with knowledge and tools in order to help them attain a healthy lifestyle. The Lose to Win Challenge is a good example. In 2010, this popular weight management programme extended its outreach from workplaces (first offered in 2009) into the community, and reached 865 participants. 93% of the total number of participants lost weight, and 99% had an improved fitness index.

8 Moving forward, HPB will be looking into developing a long-term sustainable weight management programme within the community. We will also work with healthcare providers to put in place a referral system for their clients attending weight management clinics to be referred to the community weight management programme, upon their discharge.

9 In view of the changing lifestyle of Singapore residents, HPB has also developed a Diet Tracker application for mobile phones1. This complimentary downloadable application enables mobile users to find out the calorie and fat content of more than 450 foods, including popular Singaporean dishes, as well as fast food items. It allows users to keep track of the amount of calories and fat consumed each day. Ultimately users can compare their intakes against their own estimated requirements, and view healthy eating tips which are relevant to their assessment results.

10 In the first such initiative in the region, more than 20 food companies which include a good representation of food manufacturers, restaurants, food courts and supermarkets, will pledge their commitment to formulate products and produce healthier alternatives by reducing a certain number of calories from the food supply. This initiative will be phased in over the next three years. (Refer to Annexe E).

Creating Supportive Environments
11 Faced with challenges posed by built environments in Singapore, HPB is the first in the world to introduce the concept of a Health Promoting Mall (HPM). 50 local shopping malls are participating and have committed to make their malls conducive for health-promoting activities. The HPM not only facilitates Singapore residents to pursue health-related activities at their convenience, but also helps make such pursuits both enjoyable and fun (Refer to Annexe F).

12 HPB has also worked with various food outlet chains and restaurants to provide Lower Calorie Meals at 60 food outlets island-wide. Other supportive environments that HPB will be exploring includes the promotion of physical activities within neighbourhood / town parks island-wide; and shaping the next generation s sustainable health-promoting environments through the extension of the CHERISH Programme2 to pre-schools, kindergartens and institutes of higher learning.

Monitoring and Surveillance
13 To ensure top-of-the-mind awareness for the public, as well as to monitor and understand obesity trends in Singapore, HPB is conducting two-to-three yearly BMI assessments of the population.

14 Fundamentally, health is a personal responsibility and choice. We can choose to do it for ourselves or our families, but we have to choose it. I am mindful that we must take small steps towards making lifestyle adjustments for better health, and with each success, we are motivated to do better, said Mdm Halimah Yacob, Co-Chairperson of the NHLC 2010 Organising Committee.

15 HPB recognises that achieving a healthy lifestyle with good dietary habits and regular physical activity can be made easier and more enjoyable with the support from family and friends. After all, a healthy lifestyle helps us enjoy the benefits of what we work so hard for, and ultimately builds a brighter future for all of us, said Mr Lam Pin Woon, CEO, HPB and Co-Chairperson of the NHLC 2010 Organising Committee.

Taking the first step towards healthy living together
16 Health is ultimately a personal journey and responsibility and this year s NHLC aims to urge Singapore residents to take simple steps that will help them embark on and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Recognising that getting healthy is easier and likely to be more successful if these small steps are taken together with family, friends, colleagues and as communities, HPB has launched a Let s Get Healthy Together application on HPB s facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/hpbsg) where the public can make their health commitment and share it across their social networks (Refer to Annexe G).

Partnerships
17 Various partners from the private and public sectors have come on board in support of NHLC 2010. The Platinum Sponsors are Fraser & Neave Ltd, Nestl Singapore (Pte) Ltd, and Subway Restaurants; Gold Sponsors are NTUC Income and NTUC Fairprice; and Silver Sponsors are Lam Soon Singapore Pte Ltd and DynaForce (Refer to Annexe H)

1 The Diet Tracker is currently available on iOS and Android, and upcoming for Java and Blackberry platforms.

2 CHERISH is the acronym for CHampioning Efforts Resulting in Improved School Health and has been adopted from the World Health Organization s Health Promoting School (HPS) initiative. WHO defines a HPS as one which strives to improve the health of students, as well as school personnel, families, community members; and works with community leaders to help them understand how the community contributes to health and education.