Overeating in our food heaven
Published: 20 Jul 2017
Singaporeans are eating more over the past two decades, according to the Health Promotion Board’s National Nutrition Surveys. The Surveys found out that the calories-intake by an average Singaporean has increased from 2,062kcal in 1998, to 2,624kcal in 2010, and the percentage of Singaporeans who exceed their daily recommended calorie intake has also risen from 34 per cent to 59 per cent in 1998 and 2010 respectively.
Singaporeans are increasingly surrounded by a diverse plethora of food, which makes them want to eat more, said Professor Jeyakumar Henry, Head of the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) and Professor at Department of Biochemistry under NUS Medicine. Due to a phenomenon known as sensory specific satiety, a person tends to regain his or her appetite when served with something different from what he ate. “If you repeatedly eat the same food, you get tired of it,” said Prof Henry. “But in Singapore, we have the fortune of having increasing access to diverse foods, and food variety always increases food intake.”
Other experts also pointed out that ordering takeaway or consuming processed food due to their busy lifestyles would mean extra calories, as these food contains higher amounts of fat, sugar or salt.
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