Why is healthy eating so hard to do in a food paradise like Singapore?

Ms Candy Goh, clinical dietitian at Parkway MediCentre, said it can take time before one forms good eating habits. 

“It’s about retraining our taste buds,” she added. “Sometimes when you cut down on taste (salt), it doesn’t taste as good. But if you keep taking it over a period of time, it becomes a new normal so that you’ll be able to accept it better.”

“CAN’T OUT-EXERCISE A BAD DIET”

HPB’s survey also found that Singapore residents are eating more, with their mean calorie intake going up from 2,360kcal in 2019 to 2,410kcal in 2022.

Around 61 per cent of residents exceeded what is recommended, which is estimated based on an individual’s age, gender, weight and level of physical activity. This was up from 55 per cent in 2019.

“A lot of Singaporeans are foodies, and we bond over food,” noted Ms Goh, who specialises in weight management and patient education.

“That’s when calories can pile up, because the food options generally are not so healthy. In gatherings, you would tend to over-order and after a meal, you could have desserts and drinks. So it quickly adds up. 

“People need to be more conscious about the portion that they consume, then that will help to manage the calorie intake.”

Source: channelnewsasia.com