Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health at the Launch of the Giant Goodness Gang Campaign, Giant Tampines, 14 March 2018

Mr Mark Herbert, CEO of Dairy Farm Singapore (Food) 

Mr Ruald Swart, CEO of Giant Singapore 

Ms Ann Low, Deputy Director, Healthy Food & Dining Department, Health Promotion Board 

Distinguished guests 

Ladies and gentlemen 

Good morning.

1.    It gives me great pleasure to join you today at the launch of Giant’s Goodness Gang campaign.  

2.    Lifestyle habits developed during childhood often become lifelong habits. The campaign aims to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables through a series of fun and engaging themed activities, to help lay the foundation for a healthy eating lifestyle.

Healthy eating starts from young

3.    Statistics show that 80% of students aged 13 to 18 years do not meet the recommendations for both fruit and vegetable consumption^[1]. In addition, the proportion of overweight and severely overweight children in our mainstream schools has increased from 11% in 2011 to 13% in 2017^[2]. An unhealthy body weight in childhood is likely to persist and progress later in life, leading to an increased risk of conditions such as diabetes heart disease and stroke. In 2017, the prevalence of overweight and obesity^[3] among adult Singaporeans aged 18 – 69 years was 36.2%.

4.    The best strategy to combat these trends is through prevention. Studies have shown that the dietary habits of children are formed well before the age of five. Thus, the development of healthy habits must begin from young, and sustained through to adulthood.

5.    As a parent myself, I experienced first-hand the challenges of getting my children to eat a balanced diet, and to incorporate the right proportion of fruits and vegetables when they were young. The good news is that children usually grow out of fussy eating. Hence, it is important for us as parents to do our part to expose them to the taste and texture of a variety of fruits and vegetables from a young age and continuously encourage them to make better food choices.

6.    In fact, I believe that parents are the greatest role models. Children’s eating habits are learnt through routine and observation. If they see us enjoying vegetables and fruits every day, they are more likely to eat them as well. You can start by making mealtime planning a positive family experience. While grocery shopping, get your children involved by encouraging them to touch, smell and choose vegetables and fruits that they would like to try. Allow them to help when purchasing and preparing meals. Just like what Giant Goodness Gang campaign aims to do, introduce children to the delicious and nutritious world of fresh fruits and vegetables in a fun and interactive way.

Government is doing its part

7.    On its part, the government has put in place various programmes and initiatives to promote and nurture a healthy living environment in schools, at home and in restaurants, food courts and hawker centres.

8.    Senior Minister of State for Health Dr Lam Pin Min and Senior Minister of State for Education Dr Janil Puthucheary co-led an inter-agency NurtureSG taskforce in 2016 to foster healthy behaviours in our young, by equipping them with the necessary skills and creating a conducive environment for them to embrace healthy living. Since the NurtureSG Taskforce submitted its suite of recommendations to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Education (MOE) in mid-February 2017, the recommendations have been progressively rolled out across pre-schools, schools, IHLs and the community.

9.    Schools play an important role in nurturing and sustaining good eating habits. Under the NurtureSG initiative, we have partnered the Early Childhood Development Agency to ensure that all pre-schools only serve drinks with the ‘Healthier Choice Symbol’ from 1 January 2018. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has also been working with pre-schools and schools to provide healthier meals and food choices. HPB’s Healthy Meals in Schools Programme (HMSP) provides training to all canteen vendors in preparing healthier meals that are lower in fat, sugar and salt and served with wholegrains, fruit and vegetables. As of end 2017, all mainstream schools are on board the HMSP.

10.    To make it easier for all Singaporeans to choose healthier options when grocery shopping, HPB has partnered retailers and food manufacturers to make ‘Healthier Choice Symbol’ products more widely available, empowering everyone to make informed food choices. This programme incentivises wholegrain ingredient manufacturers and suppliers to develop and increase their range of wholegrain products by allowing them to positively label and market their products to consumers. Today, the symbol can be seen on about 3,500 different food products.

All of us have a role to play

11.    The government can only do so much and everyone must play their part. And that is why today’s launch of the Goodness Gang campaign is such a significant initiative. It complements our national efforts in encouraging Singaporeans to lead a healthy lifestyle.

12.    Everybody - including parents, schools, communities and industry partners - have a role to play to reinforce healthy eating among children and loved ones at home and at every opportunity. It is heartening to witness the coming together of so many critical stakeholders today to achieve a real change in our bid to encourage healthy living. With activities like this to add to our health promotion efforts, we can work together towards the goal of a healthier and happier Singapore.

13.    Thank you very much and have a wonderful day ahead.

^[1] Student Health Survey 2012. 

^[2] Source: Ministry of Education. 

^[3] BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²