Govt wages war on diabetes, sets up task forces

Singapore

SINGAPORE'S healthy life expectancy may be among the top three in the world but Singaporeans are also living with longer ill health now than before, with diabetes a particularly worrying trend that has prompted the government to declare war on the condition and set up two task forces.

"We have observed several worrying trends in recent years," said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong during the debate on his ministry's budget on Wednesday. "Decreasing activity across all age groups and the increasing consumption of excessive calories and fat are leading to a rising obesity rate. And obesity is the major risk factor for chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes."

Over 400,000 Singaporeans have diabetes today, with one in three likely to get diabetes in their lifetime. Of those who have diabetes, one in …