Study life and work life differs tremendously. Trust me, I know…
During school and university days, our responsibilities and commitment to our tasks aren’t as high as compared to having a full-time job. There are no easy ways out because the moment you f*ck up at work, you’re fired.
Okay, I may have exaggerated a bit but we really can’t mess around like before anymore. *sobs*
So, with such responsibilities come great stress, and stress would lead to emotional eating. It’s a vicious cycle!
A study by the Singaporean Health Promotion Board (HPB) recently revealed that the average Singaporean is much heavier today, and more likely to overeat once they start working.
It was a long and tedious study, which spanned for over 30 years and took into account of more than 60,000 people, the Straits Times reported. However, the past few years showed the most alarming results.
In 2016, 42 per cent of men aged between 30 and 39 were categorised as obese. Meanwhile, 28 per cent of women in that age group were also considered obese.
Children aged between five and 18 showed very low rates of obesity, but as Singaporeans hit 21 and above, the number of overweight people gradually increases too.
Generally, that is the average age when Singaporeans transition from study life to work life.
Dr Annie Ling, the director of HPB’s policy, research and surveillance division told the press that the average Singaporean is 3kg heavier now compared to 15 years ago.
Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s general surgeon, Dr Melvin Look, explained that this should cause worry.
“A 3kg increase in average weight over the last 15 years may not seem much, but it is a worrisome trend.
“It is enough to push a large number of people from normal weight to overweight and, more significantly, put many overweight people in the obese range.”
Though the rate of physical activities and sports have increased, citizens of the island are also consuming more food than before.
Obesity can lead to many more extreme health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Dr Annie cites that obesity in adults is extremely difficult to reverse.
“I think that has been well documented in the (medical) literature. I think we should really intervene as early as possible. We probably even need to go into the pre-school setting.”
Not only do working adults tend to eat more, but finding a good balance between their job and a healthy lifestyle is deemed difficult as work just consumes too much time.
29-years-old Jonathan Lim is a civil servant who has felt that way since he started working four years ago. He said,
“I work 12 to 13 hours daily, and I’m often too tired to exercise after work.”
However, no matter how difficult it may seem, we really should be more wary of our diet and also make time for daily exercise. Even if it is just as simple as taking the staircase instead of the elevator, little changes like this will go a long way.
Also read: ‘Fat Boy’ Hits Gym After Breakup, Is Now Cleo Singapore’s Most Eligible Bachelor
