National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (NHLC) 2009 Is Big On Health

Encouraging all to Know Your BMI, Know Your Risk
The National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (NHLC) 2009 will be launched this year at a two day event to be held on 6 and 7 November 2009. The Singapore Expo Hall 6B will come alive with activities and entertainment for employees and families to learn about obesity and its health risks, Body Mass Index (BMI), and most of all, how to make small but lasting changes in their lifestyles to manage their weight and maintain good health.

NHLC 2009: Know Your BMI, Know Your Risk
2 The two day Big on Health event will highlight obesity as a major risk factor for diseases of high burden such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and certain cancers. Visitors will learn about BMI (defined as the individual s bodyweight in kilogrammes divided by the square of his/her height in metres) and how the BMI is used as a measurement tool to classify a range of health risk categories, such as low risk , moderate risk and high risk for obesity-related diseases.

3 Reinforcing the NHLC theme of Know your BMI, Know your Risk , visitors will learn how to measure their BMI and how they can take preventive steps by adopting various changes into their daily routines to manage their weight.

4 The first day (6 November) of the Big on Health event will be open exclusively to workplaces and will feature the importance of employers support in employees effort to manage obesity and overweight issues. The winners of the Lose to Win Challenge will be announced and awarded at this event.

5 The second day will be open to all members of the public and exciting activities have been lined up for everyone, including the young and seniors.

Zonal settings at Big on Health event
6 The event is based on the concept of simple but important lifestyle changes to our daily routines, especially those involving our food choices and physical activities. Familiar daily settings and environments will be represented throughout Hall 6B such as the supermarket, hawker centre, outdoor/playground, kitchen; home, and the workplace. Each zone will allow visitors to learn specific weight management tips and experience the healthier lifestyle changes such as exercise trial lessons and healthier hawker food.

Big on Health Event for the Public
Date: Saturday, 7 November 2009
Venue: Hall 6B Singapore Expo
Time: 10.00am 8.00pm
Programme: Please refer to Annex 2
Note: Open to public (free admission)

Big on Health Passport
7 All visitors to the Big on Health event will be encouraged to collect a Big on Health Passport to help reinforce and take home the key learning points. The Passport will contain a series of questions related to the various zones, and if answered correctly, visitors will be rewarded with a free goodie bag filled with healthier choice food products.

NHLC 2009 Launch Event on 6 November
8 NHLC 2009 will be launched by Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan at Singapore Expo, Hall 6B on 6 November 2009. The winners of the Lose to Win Challenge (held from mid-August to end-October this year) will be announced and awarded at this launch event.

Launch Event Details
Date: Friday, 6 November 2009
Venue: Hall 6B Singapore Expo
Time: 3.00pm 8.00pm
Programme: Please refer to Annex 1
Note: 
a) The launch event on 6 November will only be open to invited guests from workplaces.
b) Members of the media are cordially invited to attend the launch event.

Further information on BMI and NHLC 2009
9 The public may obtain information about BMI and obesity, as well as the various activities and events of NHLC 2009 at the official website www.knowyourbmi.sg.

Partnerships
10 Various partners from the private and public sectors have come on board in support of NHLC 2009. The Platinum Sponsors are Nestl Singapore (Pte) Ltd, Fraser and Neave, Limited and Subway Restaurants. Other sponsors include Lam Soon Singapore Pte Ltd (Gold Sponsor), Allswell Trading Pte Ltd (Silver Sponsor), NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd (Silver Sponsor) and TeamFitnessGuru.com (Fitness Partner). Supporting organisations for NHLC 2009 are National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

Lose to Win Challenge was a team-based structured weight loss challenge for workplaces. It comprised physical activity bootcamp sessions, nutrition workshops and fitness assessments for the corporate teams of between 3 5 individuals, all whose BMI was > 25 kg/m2.. 287 participants from 72 organisations took part in the Challenge.