National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign 2000 7 September - 5 October 2000

24 Aug 2000

Singapore *H.E.A.L.T.H. Award 2000

Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Health, will launch the Campaign on 7 Sep at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre during the Singapore H.E.A.L.T.H. Award 2000 presentation ceremony. This Award in its second year gives recognition to 135 organisations which have commendable workplace health promotion programmes.

Focus of the National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign 2000

The 1999 National Healthy Lifestyle post campaign survey showed that less than 5% of Singaporeans are aware of the protective role of fruit and vegetables on the heart.

As heart disease is the second top killer among Singaporeans, this year's National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign will focus on the protective effect of fruit and vegetables (high-fibre foods) and the benefits of a low-fat diet on the heart.

To stress the importance of having a high-fibre, low-fat diet, the campaign has coined the "2 + 2" and "Replace and Reduce" formulae for a healthy heart. "2 + 2" means two servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables. Eating 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables a day will provide the necessary fibre to keep healthy. The "Replace and Reduce" formula conveys two essential ways to reduce fat in our diet - by replacing high-fat foods with low-fat ones and reducing the amount of oil used in cooking.

*A.C.T.I.V.E. Day 2000

A.C.T.I.V.E. Day, will be held on 8 Sep 2000. This programme aims to encourage physical activity among the working population. The CEOs and senior management of more than 250 companies will lead employees in exercise workouts. Three companies stand a chance to win $7,500 worth of prizes in the "Best A.C.T.I.V.E. Day 2000 Programme" Competition.

Healthy Cooking Competition

The Millennium Healthy Cooking Competition is a nationwide healthy cooking competition organised to encourage homemakers to prepare healthy and tasty dishes for the family. The finals will be held on 24 Sep 2000.

Supermarket Programme

The Supermarket Programme is held in Cold Storage, NTUC Fairprice, Shop & Save outlets and Carrefour to raise awareness of healthy food choices among shoppers. The programme includes a tour of the supermarket conducted by nutritionists and dieticians to educate shoppers on products that are rich in fibre. The healthier food items will be highlighted. It will be launched on 13 Sep 2000 at Cold Storage, Great World City and will be held for a month from 13 Sep - 15 Oct 2000 in all the participating supermarkets.

When eating out, the Healthier Food Choices Programme gives one the freedom to make healthier food choices. This programme is held in 16 food courts and 140 hawker centres. The public can ask for more vegetables, less fat, less oil, less salt and less sugar in their food. 105 restaurants are providing healthier choices in their a la carte menu.

With a high-fibre, low-fat diet and regular exercise, coupled with a smoke-free lifestyle and good stress management, Singaporeans will be empowered to fight heart disease.

The National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign is organised by the Committee on Healthy Lifestyle. The main sponsors are Singapore Totalisator Board, Gardenia Foods (S) Pte Ltd and F&N Coca-Cola (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

* H.E.A.L.T.H : Helping Employees Achieve Life-Time Health

* A.C.T.I.V.E. : All Companies Together In Various Exercises

(Please refer to Annex 1 for details of the activities.)

• Annex 1 (9 KB)