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Man dies after exercise at weight-loss challenge
Safety measures for the Health Promotion Board event now under review
By Mavis Toh
SAFETY precautions surrounding weight-loss challenge Lose To Win are being reviewed after a father of two died shortly after a brisk walking session last Saturday.
Mr Ong Joo Aun, 54, a human resource executive, was resting after the 2km walk at Yishun Stadium when he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
His death has led some to question whether more checks should be done to ensure that participants are fit enough to be part of such weight-loss challenges.
Lose To Win, which started in 2009 and is organised by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), is a 12-week weight-management challenge, sections of which have been aired on television in previous years.
Participants go through twice-weekly sessions of physical activities consisting of progressive resistance training, flexibility exercises and moderate intensity cardiovascular training such as brisk walking.
Mr Ong's widow, Madam Chuah Siew Guat, 48, told The Straits Times yesterday that he had undergone a heart bypass about 10 years ago.
She added that her husband's death certificate listed the cause of death as coronary artery blockage, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
She said everyone taking part in the challenge should go through a body check-up, adding: 'Sometimes we really can't tell what's going on in our body.'
The HPB said yesterday that it is reviewing the event's safety precautions.
It said morbidly obese people are not allowed to take part because they are more likely to get injured and need constant medical supervision.
All participants are also given an internationally recognised Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q). This looks for symptoms of an undetected medical condition by asking questions such as whether one feels pain in the chest when exercising. Those who fail cannot take part unless a doctor gives them the all-clear.
Mr Ong failed the test, but was allowed to enter the challenge after submitting a doctor's letter, the spokesman added.
It was the second time he had taken part in Lose To Win. In 2009, he lost more than 3kg through the programme. He weighed 69.9kg when he died, about 2kg less than when he started.
Personal trainer Chris Chew said full-body check-ups should be done before this kind of challenge. He added that all his clients have to take a PAR-Q test before he tailors their exercise regime. Those above 35 years of age also have to undergo a medical check-up.
'We need to know their health, to know whether physically they can handle the exercises. Especially when it's a challenge, people tend to push themselves.'
Mr Roderick Layung, 40, an engineer, who lost 10kg through Lose To Win in 2009, said fitness instructors are present at each session to make sure people exercise at their own pace.
HPB said a safety briefing is conducted before the start of any physical activity and participants are asked if they feel unwell. A team of paramedics and an ambulance are also on standby.
[email protected]
Safety measures for the Health Promotion Board event now under review
By Mavis Toh
SAFETY precautions surrounding weight-loss challenge Lose To Win are being reviewed after a father of two died shortly after a brisk walking session last Saturday.
Mr Ong Joo Aun, 54, a human resource executive, was resting after the 2km walk at Yishun Stadium when he collapsed. He was pronounced dead at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
His death has led some to question whether more checks should be done to ensure that participants are fit enough to be part of such weight-loss challenges.
Lose To Win, which started in 2009 and is organised by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), is a 12-week weight-management challenge, sections of which have been aired on television in previous years.
Participants go through twice-weekly sessions of physical activities consisting of progressive resistance training, flexibility exercises and moderate intensity cardiovascular training such as brisk walking.
Mr Ong's widow, Madam Chuah Siew Guat, 48, told The Straits Times yesterday that he had undergone a heart bypass about 10 years ago.
She added that her husband's death certificate listed the cause of death as coronary artery blockage, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
She said everyone taking part in the challenge should go through a body check-up, adding: 'Sometimes we really can't tell what's going on in our body.'
The HPB said yesterday that it is reviewing the event's safety precautions.
It said morbidly obese people are not allowed to take part because they are more likely to get injured and need constant medical supervision.
All participants are also given an internationally recognised Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q). This looks for symptoms of an undetected medical condition by asking questions such as whether one feels pain in the chest when exercising. Those who fail cannot take part unless a doctor gives them the all-clear.
Mr Ong failed the test, but was allowed to enter the challenge after submitting a doctor's letter, the spokesman added.
It was the second time he had taken part in Lose To Win. In 2009, he lost more than 3kg through the programme. He weighed 69.9kg when he died, about 2kg less than when he started.
Personal trainer Chris Chew said full-body check-ups should be done before this kind of challenge. He added that all his clients have to take a PAR-Q test before he tailors their exercise regime. Those above 35 years of age also have to undergo a medical check-up.
'We need to know their health, to know whether physically they can handle the exercises. Especially when it's a challenge, people tend to push themselves.'
Mr Roderick Layung, 40, an engineer, who lost 10kg through Lose To Win in 2009, said fitness instructors are present at each session to make sure people exercise at their own pace.
HPB said a safety briefing is conducted before the start of any physical activity and participants are asked if they feel unwell. A team of paramedics and an ambulance are also on standby.
[email protected]
Anyone with half a brain would stop filling their faces if they looked in the mirror and saw Michelin man staring back at them.
Who are these so called professionals organising these "challenges"?
