singaporean health

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

see a lot of health enthusiasts here in this forum, shall start this thread to discuss the unhealthiness of a SGrean lifestyle...

I will start the ball rolling with diabetes. Well to define a chronic illness where the pancreas stops or minimises the secretion of insulin to break down sugar we consume, hence, as a result the glucose becomes free radicals in the blood, attaches itself to the vessel walls, and also start circulating around the body attaching to organs like kidneys (60% of dialysis patient has diabetes), eye vessels (retinopathy), liver, feet vessels, etc. It is indeed a very expensive disease and a pain in the ass to live with.

Why I start this as the first topic is because all of us are at risk due to the Singaporean diet we are consuming everyday, esp the deep fried food like chicken wing, char kway teow, soft drink etc..all in all we are overeating and consuming a mainly carbs, sugar and oil full diet. The standard measurement of one's diet is calories, and 2 teaspoon of cooking oil is equivalent to 180 calories (we need about 2000 calories per day, depending on bodyweight). The more calories you consume, the more insulin your pancrea secrete, thus higher chance of insulin being used up and getting type 2 diabetes.

discussion?

 

[manokie]

the interesting thing is that

Sinkie govt has done nothing to educate the public of these unhealthy food

if you visit the hospital, you actually aid the economy so they want to keep quiet about it!

 

[johnny333]

the interesting thing is that

Sinkie govt has done nothing to educate the public of these unhealthy food

How true.
The Spore healthcare system is about generating profit & less about patient welfare.

The routine on visits to my cardiologist was an examination, followed by the doctor prescribing medication & then giving the next appointment .

The doctor did not bring up issues on diet, lifestyle changes,... Any questions were answered without much enthusiasm.

It could be that he's too busy, many patients to see, surgeries to perform,..

In Canada when I was recovering in a hospital I was attended to by a physiotherapist & occupational therapist. I was overwhelmed by the attention They have a "medical system" in place, with various health practioneer who provide assistance from the surgery, to the recovery, & finally returning to socety stage. That is something most Sporeans can only dream of

 

[aangsc]

the interesting thing is that

Sinkie govt has done nothing to educate the public of these unhealthy food

if you visit the hospital, you actually aid the economy so they want to keep quiet about it!

do you have any idea how many Pharmaceutical companies we have in sg ?
How many jobs they create ?
How much they contributed to our GDP ?

But seriously , your health is your personal responsibility.
Doctor does bring up issues, esp if it is your usual company doc or family doc; I was told a few years back "is it not a question whether you will get xxxx, it is just a matter of time, when you will get it." Do your personal adjustment like diet , exercise, balance lifestyle etc etc blah blah. What are you going to do about it ? SG isn't the only country with diabetes problem, India also and soon China will follows once they become more westernised in their lifestyle and eating junk foods like e ang moh. Already you are seeing the switch from tea drinking to coffee sipping.

 

[Ramseth]

the interesting thing is that

Sinkie govt has done nothing to educate the public of these unhealthy food

if you visit the hospital, you actually aid the economy so they want to keep quiet about it!

If you watch TV regularly or even randomly, oh my God, it seems like every other program is about fatty delicious foods! Is there a campaign to get all Singaporeans to overeat to boost food biz, pharmacy biz and medical biz?

 

[aangsc]

That's the price for globalisation and commercialisation. Profit is 1st priority. How can you said they do nothing, our ah li even go down personally to do taichi for the photo shot....remember ? That's promoting healthy lifestyle. I can see there will be problem coping with the aged and sick soon, polyclinic are always very very busy. If I am not wrong, heart problem is the biggest claim ailment in SG as highlighted by Great Eastern insurance. It is not wise to wait for somebody to do something for you.

 

[johnny333]

If I am not wrong, heart problem is the biggest claim ailment in SG as highlighted by Great Eastern insurance. It is not wise to wait for somebody to do something for you.

With the popularity of fast foods, the problem will get worst. :(

Some people insist they can get all the necessary vitamins from foods. Even my mother who is a vegetarian & one of the healthiest person I know has been consuming supplements on a regular basis for years.

People should make an effort to educate themselves about health issues. Start by understanding that the problems start with the quality of our food sources.

If you take a look at Malaysia there is a greater awareness of health issues. Just look at the number of Malaysian authored books on health, the availability of organic foods, the number of stores carrying health products,..

I think the root of the problem starts with our media. They give little attention to health issues & more coverage to the great deeds of our glorious leaders. Every speech, every visit, every complaint is given coverage in the papers, radio & TV

 

[manokie]

do you have any idea how many Pharmaceutical companies we have in sg ?
How many jobs they create ?
How much they contributed to our GDP ?

But seriously , your health is your personal responsibility.
Doctor does bring up issues, esp if it is your usual company doc or family doc; I was told a few years back "is it not a question whether you will get xxxx, it is just a matter of time, when you will get it." Do your personal adjustment like diet , exercise, balance lifestyle etc etc blah blah. What are you going to do about it ? SG isn't the only country with diabetes problem, India also and soon China will follows once they become more westernised in their lifestyle and eating junk foods like e ang moh. Already you are seeing the switch from tea drinking to coffee sipping.

Yep

It's all personal responsibility and of course, you cannot deny that these companies create lots of jobs.
But how can you even pass responsibility to the citizens before you educate them and make nutritional information available to everyone?

However, a smarter way for them to earn money is NOT to earn them from our own people and allow our people to suffer from their success.
Let them set up base here and get their sales from our neighbors!

We should, as humans, try to foster a better environment for our kids, family and friends to live in. That includes revamping our food industry to provide healthier food. You cannot deny that the food/beverage industry is unlike other countries with an agricultural base. We don't cook as much and rely more on hawker centers and food courts to achieve economy in scale.

Hence, there is a greater responsibility on the government to ensure that nutrition facts on these hawker foods are made known to the people. This is the same thing that US govt forced Macs to do. It increased costs but it also let the people make better decisions in the choice of food. Also, it encouraged Macs to offer healthier food since every unhealthy food offerings will be very obvious!

How can you deputize responsibility to the people without accessibility to information? If the nutrition composition of a char kway teow is made know, you will be shocked at the figures!

When you have a healthy nation, you are stronger when the storm comes. :o

 

[bodycells]

Just stick to organic food.. I eat organic rice and vegetables. Taste much better too. Morning is organic cereals and organic soy milk and one organic apple and orange.

 

[aangsc]

I think the root of the problem starts with our media. They give little attention to health issues & more coverage to the great deeds of our glorious leaders. Every speech, every visit, every complaint is given coverage in the papers, radio & TV

Our goal is to be health care hub in this region so need to promote health care technology and medical excellence (prescription of drugs and cut you up expert)

 

[Ramseth]

With the popularity of fast foods, the problem will get worst. :(

Actually, I can't understand what's wrong with fast food that it's so called junk food. For example, French fries. It's simply potato sliced and fried in veggie oil. Eat it in Mc it's junk? Eat it in restaurant as sidedish to steak and it's gourmet? Even hamburger. Bread bun is bread bun, ground beef patty is ground beef patty, whether at Mc or restaurant. Lettuce is lettuce and mayonnaise is mayonnaise, whether at Mc or 5-star restaurant. Eat it at Mc or restaurant or cook them at home, still the same thing.

 

[aangsc]

Actually, I can't understand what's wrong with fast food that it's so called junk food. For example, French fries. It's simply potato sliced and fried in veggie oil. Eat it in Mc it's junk? Eat it in restaurant as sidedish to steak and it's gourmet? Even hamburger. Bread bun is bread bun, ground beef patty is ground beef patty, whether at Mc or restaurant. Lettuce is lettuce and mayonnaise is mayonnaise, whether at Mc or 5-star restaurant. Eat it at Mc or restaurant or cook them at home, still the same thing.

It's in the preservatives ! Not so much problem if you cut a fresh potatoes and make it into fries, but on long term consumption, that is a lot of starch turning into fat. I still remember my 3 years in ang moh country when my weight ballon to 85kg ( cheap potatoes , bread, ham , cheese , steak, pizza esp when you want at closing hours!) Now with asian foods I am down to 70+. Importantly , learn to moderate , even that is a hard to master.

 

[Ramseth]

It's in the preservatives ! Not so much problem if you cut a fresh potatoes and make it into fries, but on long term consumption, that is a lot of starch turning into fat. I still remember my 3 years in ang moh country when my weight ballon to 85kg ( cheap potatoes , bread, ham , cheese , steak, pizza esp when you want at closing hours!) Now with asian foods I am down to 70+. Importantly , learn to moderate , even that is a hard to master.

Do fast foods use preservatives? I thought preservatives are used in canned foods. I thought fast foods move so fast that there's neither time nor need for preservatives.

 

[johnny333]

Actually, I can't understand what's wrong with fast food that it's so called junk food. For example, French fries. It's simply potato sliced and fried in veggie oil. Eat it in Mc it's junk? Eat it in restaurant as sidedish to steak and it's gourmet? Even hamburger. Bread bun is bread bun, ground beef patty is ground beef patty, whether at Mc or restaurant. Lettuce is lettuce and mayonnaise is mayonnaise, whether at Mc or 5-star restaurant. Eat it at Mc or restaurant or cook them at home, still the same thing.

They use trans fat(hydrogenised vegetable oil) oils which is very damaging to one's health. In California it was made illegal about 4 years ago. Nowadays if you check the supermarkets many products will even advertise non-trans fat products. Trans fat is credited with the explosive growth of obesity & heart problems in N. America.

Frying is one of the most unhealthiest ways to prepare food. Especially with fries because it creates a carcinogenic substance called acrylamide.

Hamburgers use a large chunk of meat. A meat rich diet is unhealthy.

The seasoning used in hamburgers include large amounts of sugar, salt, & various preservatives. Even mayonnaise is a no, no for those with heart problems.

There is a large amount of sugar used in coke, pepsi,.. For example in a 12 oz can there is 10 teaspoon o sugar. So if you have a drink with a meal your getting alot of empty calories.

 

[eatshitndie]

Actually, I can't understand what's wrong with fast food that it's so called junk food. For example, French fries. It's simply potato sliced and fried in veggie oil. Eat it in Mc it's junk? Eat it in restaurant as sidedish to steak and it's gourmet? Even hamburger. Bread bun is bread bun, ground beef patty is ground beef patty, whether at Mc or restaurant. Lettuce is lettuce and mayonnaise is mayonnaise, whether at Mc or 5-star restaurant. Eat it at Mc or restaurant or cook them at home, still the same thing.

you haven't seen or eaten 5-star gourmet hamburger made from wagyu rib eye beef, yet.

http://www.fleurdelyssf.com/

 

[manokie]

They use trans fat(hydrogenised vegetable oil) oils which is very damaging to one's health. In California it was made illegal about 4 years ago. Nowadays if you check the supermarkets many products will even advertise non-trans fat products. Trans fat is credited with the explosive growth of obesity & heart problems in N. America.

Frying is one of the most unhealthiest ways to prepare food. Especially with fries because it creates a carcinogenic substance called acrylamide.

Hamburgers use a large chunk of meat. A meat rich diet is unhealthy.

The seasoning used in hamburgers include large amounts of sugar, salt, & various preservatives. Even mayonnaise is a no, no for those with heart problems.

There is a large amount of sugar used in coke, pepsi,.. For example in a 12 oz can there is 10 teaspoon o sugar. So if you have a drink with a meal your getting alot of empty calories.

Good Info

American food is scary.
That's why Medical expenditure makes up 15% of their GDP.

 

[Ramseth]

you haven't seen or eaten 5-star gourmet hamburger made from wagyu rib eye beef, yet.

Kobe ribeye is best as steak or cube stewed or sliced soft boiled. To grind and burger it is a waste.

 

[eatshitndie]

Kobe ribeye is best as steak or cube stewed or sliced soft boiled. To grind and burger it is a waste.

wagyu beef is not always kobe beef. wagyu is a cattle type. kobe beef is made from wagyu cattle raised in the kobe style. the wagyu ranches in california don't produce kobe beef. they produce wagyu beef. and wagyu beef are ground up just like other beef, especially the non-steak parts. if you bother to check hubert keller's way (in the link) of preparing 5-star burgers, you will not consider it a waste. some customers simply can't cut bloody medium rare steaks with knives or see blood on the plate; they rather have them on a gourmet burger. rib eye steak is a waste anyway if morons prepare them well done.

 

[Ramseth]

wagyu beef is not always kobe beef. wagyu is a cattle type. kobe beef is made from wagyu cattle raised in the kobe style. the wagyu ranches in california don't produce kobe beef. they produce wagyu beef. and wagyu beef are ground up just like other beef, especially the non-steak parts. if you bother to check hubert keller's way (in the link) of preparing 5-star burgers, you will not consider it a waste. some customers simply can't cut bloody medium rare steaks with knives or see blood on the plate; they rather have them on a gourmet burger. rib eye steak is a waste anyway if morons prepare them well done.

Wagyu means Japanese beef. The best of which is Kobe beef. But you're right. Anything in and from the hands of morons are a waste.

 

[johnny333]

Good Info

American food is scary.
That's why Medical expenditure makes up 15% of their GDP.

Actually alot of the increase in expenditures can be traced to greed.

You'll know what I mean if you've see see documentaries like "Super Size Me" and Michael Moore's "Sicko"

The fast food business pushing their junk food for $$$ & the doctors who push alot of unnecessary expensive medications & surgical procedures.

Just look at Canada which has a much saner medical system, where the doctors still do well, There are fewer obese people around even though it's just next door to the US. Probably because they have more educated & knowlegeable citizens who don't let bizness & corporations go amok.