Speech by Minister of State (Health), Dr Lam Pin Min at the 7th Holistic Wellness Symposium “Your Gut Matters” on 26 July 2015 at Chui Huay Lim Club

Founder Joyce Lye,
Distinguished Speakers,
Members of Kampung Senang,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. A very good morning to all of you. I am very happy to see many of you take time off from your precious weekend to be here. Today’s symposium is organised by Eco-Harmony, the social enterprise of Kampung Senang Charity and Education Foundation, and the theme is Your Gut Matters.

2. Allow me a few minutes to talk about our health landscape:

We are living longer, but should aim to live healthier

3. Over the years, we have seen dramatic health improvements such as reductions in our child mortality, and the eradication of many infectious diseases. This is due to public health interventions related to clean water and sanitation; medical interventions such as vaccine coverage; and advances in science and technology. Health improvements have come with better life expectancy. Singapore is now ranked by the World Health Organization as the fifth highest in the world for life expectancy for men and fourth highest in the world for women.

4. However, the older we get, the higher the risk of developing chronic medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. So, as our population ages, we can expect to see an increased prevalence of chronic conditions requiring long-drawn-out care which can be expensive if there are associated disease complications.

5. At the same time, our economic progress has allowed for readily accessible technology. Today, almost anything is available at the touch of a button: shopping, learning, and entertainment. This has led to us leading more sedentary lives. Our diets also now include greater amounts of meat, and refined and processed foods. These lifestyle changes have also impacted our children. According to our Students’ Health Survey in 2012, only about 16% of our Secondary 1 to 4 students achieved the recommended amount of physical activity per week. Our children also have higher risk of becoming obese. Based on the National Health Survey findings in 2010, about one in ten of our youth (aged 18 years) entered adulthood already obese. In 1998, this figure was only about 6.0%.

Primary & secondary prevention

6. Chronic diseases are potentially preventable: we can buck the rising trend of chronic diseases by encouraging healthy behaviours such as eating healthily, engaging in regular physical activity and not smoking. Such healthy habits should be established from a young age. Nevertheless, it is never too late to start even if we are a little bit older. This is also why regular health screening is critical, even if you generally feel well as people could start developing risk factors or chronic diseases without realising it. Screening helps in detecting chronic diseases early for prompt treatment, and improves health outcomes. Such early intervention could delay or even prevent the development of disease complications.

7. A symposium such as this could give us insights into the problems with our modern diets and lifestyles, and how we can overcome them by making the right food choices. It educates us on the necessity and benefits of early disease detection. Most importantly, it can show us how we can live our lives in a way that helps us maintain health and prevent disease.

Government initiatives

8. At the national level, there are initiatives in place to help Singaporeans stay healthy for as long as possible.

9. Firstly, the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB)’s Screen for Life provides a comprehensive and established suite of health screening programmes for chronic disease and cancers that are available to Singaporeans. To lower the cost barriers, Singaporeans on the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) can receive fully paid-for screening tests under Screen for Life[1] at participating CHAS-GP clinics, as well as subsidies for the GP consultation fee.

10. Secondly, for health promotion, the Healthy Living Master Plan (or HLMP) serves as a means to encourage healthy living by making healthy options accessible, natural and effortless. The initiatives in the HLMP facilitate healthy living in the school, workplace, and community.

11. Preschools, Schools and Tertiary Institutions: One of the Health Promotion Board’s core strategies is to inculcate healthy habits from a young age. Since 2011, the Healthy Meals in Childcare Centres and Schools Programme has helped childcare centres and schools to improve the nutritional quality of meals served with the incorporation of more fruits, vegetables and whole grains choices. Centre cooks and canteen vendors have been trained to prepare healthy meals that not only taste good but are also lower in sugar, salt and fat.

12. We also want to decrease the influence that advertising of energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods has on children. To this end, the Food Advertising Guidelines for Children that have been implemented since 1st January this year will decrease the influence that advertising of nutrient-poor foods has on children. From now on, all food and beverage products promoted in marketing communications targeted at children, aged 12 years and below, both in and out of school, are required to meet the Common Nutrition Criteria.

13. Workplaces: The workplace is another platform that can make healthy living options more pervasive. With more than 60% of Singapore’s residents aged 15 and above in the workforce, the workplace is a natural setting for lifestyle programmes and outreach. One-north is the latest business park to create a healthier workplace with the launch of its Healthy Workplace Ecosystem last month.

14. Communities: Last but not least, community outreach plays an important role in reaching out to the seniors and those who are not part of the workforce. To this end, we are increasing access points to health promotion programmes and facilities within various residential neighbourhoods. Three healthy community ecosystems have been launched in Choa Chu Kang, Sembawang and Tampines since 2014. These ecosystems provide a physically conducive environment for healthy living where health promoting elements within the built environment are linked up. This is further aided by visual cues, such as healthy dining options at local eateries; and health promotion programmes at community facilities and communal spaces such as the Residents’ Committee corners and Community Clubs, malls, parks, schools and pre-schools.

Call to individual response

15. Even as the Government does its part to create better healthy ecosystems, healthcare facilities, and keep medical services affordable and accessible, it is ultimately up to us as individuals to respond to the call to be healthy. By the end of today, we will have picked up useful information and practical actions that we can take to keep healthy. It is my hope that in applying knowledge to action, we can then inspire our friends and family members to do likewise. Good health is, after all, the best gift we can give to ourselves, to our families, and our communities. It is the foundation for happy families, lively communities, and a prosperous and vibrant nation.

16. Thank you.