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Obesity is fast becoming a global epidemic
The newest Singapore government system of fat body evaluation [February 2005] shows that more and more Singaporean people
risk suffering diabtes and stroke. At the same time, level of obesity rises.
The last national survey focusing Singaporeans' health showed in 1998 that the population
registered as overweight has risen in period 1992-1998 from 21 to 24 percent, while those people listed
as as obesed and superobesed has increased from 5 to 6 percent.
Here are the classification according to Singapore's new system of considering BMI:
- people with a BMI of 27.5 and above are considered at high risk of disease,
- people with BMI from 23 to 27.4 signals moderate risk and
- those having BMI from 18.5 to 22.9 is healthy.
Obesity is usually defined as having a body mass index of 30 or above,
The motivation for this new scale is that recent studies have shown that many Asian people have more fat that
Caucasians of the same age, sex, BMI. On the other hand, an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
and diabetes mellitus at relatively low BMI levels, has been observed among Asians.
low BMI levels
Dr. Lam Sian Lian, the board's chief executive said: "According to the WHO, obesity is fast becoming a global epidemic
and Singapore is following a similar trend as that of developed countries". "With the new guidelines, about half of the
adult population will be at moderate-high risk. Previously we were looking at about a third, going by the WHO international cut-offs for overweight and obese" dr Lam concluded.
NOTE: The Information on this site is provided for information only, and is not meant to substitute for
the advice of your own physician or other medical professional.
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