According to the latest national health survey — which is done once every six years — 11.3 per cent of adults aged between 18 and 69 years are diabetic, compared to 8.2 per cent in 2004 and 9 per cent in 1998.
The good news, though, is that high cholesterol and hypertension rates have gone down. The hypertension rate has dropped to 23.5 per cent this year from 26.8 per cent in 2004, while that for high cholesterol has fallen to 17.4 per cent from 19.1 per cent over the same period.
It was clear the country’s rising obesity rate — based on the same survey but revealed by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) earlier this month — was not far from Mr Khaw’s mind as he spoke at the National Health Award on Friday.
Mr Khaw reiterated that “obesity and development are not Siamese twins”.
“The Japanese and the Koreans have remained slim. Their obesity prevalence at 4 per cent ... is less than half of ours. We must understand their approach and see if it can be adopted here,” said Mr Khaw.
The Health Minister added that one way to reverse the rising obesity rate was to roll out guidelines to protect children against indiscriminate advertising of unhealthy food and drinks — something that the HPB has said it will be doing.
Some countries such as Sweden and the United Kingdom have imposed outright bans on junk food advertising on television channels and programmes targeted at children. Malaysia has banned fast-food firms from sponsoring TV shows for children or advertising on children’s programmes.
However, the bans have reportedly not succeeded in bringing down obesity rates.
Dr Nancy Tan, a paediatrician with SBCC Baby and Child Clinic, noted that often, a child picks up eating habits from his or her family.
Many of her obese patients also have overweight family members
SINGAPORE — Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan has backed the impending introduction of guidelines on junk food advertising — as latest statistics on Friday showed the rate of diabetes here has risen to a 12-year high.
Toy boys: the new inter-generational relationships
On the other hand, there are the guys out there that are like some of the women that date much older men, who sometimes get the nickname 'gold-diggers'. These guys may see an older woman as a meal ticket, a way to get money or holidays paid for. They provide a ‘service’ and the women thank them by showering them with gifts.
Toy boys: the new inter-generational relationships
Unlike men who reach their sexual peak in their teens and then remain at a steady level, women reachtheir sexual peakin their 30s and 40s. Research from the University of Texas, which featured in the journal ‘Personality and Individual Differences,’ says that “evolution has encouraged women to be more sexually active as their fertility begins to decline.” As it is a lot harder to get pregnant as we get older, women respond by seeking more and more sex." We aren’t implying that cougars are looking to get pregnant. We’re implying that the younger guy is going to be having lots of sex!
Toy boys: the new inter-generational relationships
Older women are more mature, established and won’t waste time playing mind games or mess with the guys' heads. They know what they want, are confident and happy enough to tell they guy exactly what that is. These women are upfront and therefore the guy knows where they stand - which, let’s be honest, must be refreshing.
Toy boys: the new inter-generational relationships
Possible reasons for the guys
There are of course various reasons why younger guys date older women and one of them is that the women have been there and gotten the t-shirt. They are financially independent, have their own life and are comfortable in their own skin, which can’t necessarily be said for their younger counterparts. Cougars don’t have to look for the guy that is going to provide for them and take care of them.
Toy boys: the new inter-generational relationships
Reasons behind the cougar craze
stock.xchng
A cougar is defined as a woman in her thirties, forties or fifties who is dating someone at least eight years younger than her.
While these inter-generational relationships have always existed, they haven’t always been accepted by society and can sometimes be seen as bad taste. However, according to a recent survey, one in three women between the age of 40 and 69 are dating a younger man (ABC News).
We have a look at possible reasons why some women date younger men.
It’s become increasingly fashionable in nutrition circles to talk about a low Glycemic Index (GI) approach to eating. I had alluded to this concept in earlier articles as well. For the benefit of those who may not be familiar with this concept, here is a brief overview.
GI is a measure of how quickly a food raises the blood glucose level after eating it when compared to eating a same amount of a reference food (usually white bread). GI only applies to foods which are a significant source of carbohydrates – namely grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, legumes and dairy products.
High GI foods have a value of 70 and over, low GI foods are 55 and under, and medium GI foods are classified 56-69. Low GI foods are more slowly digested and absorbed by our bodies than high GI foods, and hence avoids big fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin, the hormone secreted by our bodies to control blood sugar levels.
This has implications for better blood sugar control in diabetes, weight and hunger/appetite management, reducing cardiovascular disease risk by lowering blood cholesterol levels, improving mental concentration, enhancing endurance sports performance and other health benefits.
The GI of a food is influenced by many factors including type of starch, sugar or fibre present, the physical barriers to digestion, extent and method of processing and cooking, and the presence of acid, protein and fat. Essentially, GI is a measure of the quality, rather than the quantity of a carbohydrate containing food. However, the amount of carbohydrate in a serving of food is still important as it also influences the body’s blood glucose response to the food. As such, researchers have developed a related concept called Glycemic Load (GL) which takes into account both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate by multiplying the GI value by the amount of carbohydrate in grams in a given serving. For more information on GI and GL, please refer to www.glycemicindex.com.
Net profit for the June-to-September quarter rose 106 per cent to RM765 million ($320 million) from RM371.3 million in the corresponding period a year earlier, the company said yesterday.
Genting’s Singapore leisure and hospitality operations, comprising the Resorts World Singapore casino complex, swung to a pretax profit of RM800.8 million from a loss of RM62.9 million a year earlier but the company’s Malaysian casino operations showed a 26 per cent year-on-year drop in pretax profit to RM523.4 million.
Pretax profit from the plantations segment increased 32 per cent year-on-year to RM112.7 million.
Genting’s overall revenue grew 63 per cent to RM3.90 billion from RM2.40 billion a year earlier.
It said its Malaysian casino operation, run by its Genting Malaysia unit, is likely to be affected by greater regional competition for the rest of the year.
Genting Malaysia reported that third-quarter net profit fell 6.4 per cent to RM336.4 million, while revenue was down 10 per cent to RM1.20 billion mainly due to lower business volume and higher costs.
Genting’s Singapore resort, however, is likely “to improve operational efficiency” and benefit from marketing efforts targeting primary overseas markets, the company said.
The plantations division is expected to perform better for the remainder of the fiscal year compared with a year ago, it added.
— Malaysia-based casino operator Genting Berhad’s third quarter earnings more than doubled mainly due to its new casino and resort complex in Singapore, as well as better profits from its plantation division.Agencies
I REFER to the news that bus commuters were overcharged by $300,000 (“More distance fare errors”, Nov 23). My guess is that the majority of those affected will not bother to collect their refunds as the amount owed to each individual is likely to be insignificant vis-a-vis the inconvenience and cost of making the trip to obtain the refund [trOUble makeIng tO create Unnecessary wOrk and ecOnOmIc grOwth ? ? ? ?].
What do the authorities intend to do with the balance of unclaimed refunds?
[Are the aUthOrItIes medIOcre ? ? ? ?]
Perhaps after the June 17, 2011 deadline for claims is over, the unclaimed balance could be donated to charity.
In fact, the authorities might even consider seeking feedback now to decide whether it is practical to donate the entire $300,000 to charity from the outset, instead of carrying out the cumbersome refund exercise.
Use it to subsidise needy
Letter from Lee Kwok Weng
I CAN only imagine the administrative cost and effort needed to dispense refunds to the thousands of affected commuters. This would be akin to incurring more cost to try to save costs — the purpose of instituting the distance-based fare scheme in the first place.
It would be an unproductive, unnecessary waste of money and effort.
May I suggest that the $300,000 be donated to a common fund to subsidise more needy commuters?
As a gesture of goodwill [medIOcrIty as gOOdwIll ? ? ? ?], perhaps the public transport operators and relevant authorities could even match the sum and donate an additional $300,000 to this pool.
The same could apply for any future discrepancies unearthed.
A report issued on Tuesday by the United States-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) put the level of particulate matter here at 50-per-cent [200% ? ? ? ?] above the WHO 2005 Air Quality Guidelines — even though the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) here has been mostly in the “good” range, Solid particles 10 micrometres (PM10) in diameter or smaller, such as soot, dirt, liquid droplets, can cause health problems when inhaled.
The annual mean was 30 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m
The National Environment Agency told MediaCorp, however, that the WHO guidelines are set at “very stringent levels”. *merItOcracy ? ? ? ?*
Said an NEA spokesperson: “WHO recognised that many countries wouldn’t be able to meet the guidelines immediately, and it, therefore, set interim guidelines which countries could choose to adopt as they work towards achieving the final guidelines.”
Singapore has met three of these interim targets, which range from 30 to 70ug/m3 [medIOcrIty ? ? ? ?].
The main sources of PM10 here were motor vehicles, refineries and power stations, as well as haze from fires in Indonesia, said the NEA.
The HEI report noted that the air quality here was much better than in other cities such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, a fact the NEA also highlighted.
While the report did not look into PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) found in haze and from car emissions, Singapore similarly falls short of the WHO’s highest standards.
PM2.5 is believed to pose the greatest health risks because they can lodge deeply in the lungs and carry more toxic substances.
Short-term exposure risks include heart attacks and strokes and there are also long-term cardiovascular risks, according to the American Heart Association.
The WHO standard for PM2.5 is 10ug/m3.
Last year, the PM2.5 average here was 19ug/m3,
down from 21ug/m3 [>100+%] in 2005.
The NEA attributed the drop to the introduction of stringent vehicular emission standards and stricter enforcement action against smoke emissions from motor vehicles and industries.
Singapore’s PSI does not measure PM2.5 levels and there have been calls recently to include it.
There may well be a change when a review of the PSI is completed next year.
“These measures are regularly reviewed and refined as better pollution control technologies become available. In addition, the move to promote the use of cleaner vehicles such as CNG vehicles and the use of public transport to control the car population has also helped to keep PM2.5 emissions in check,” the NEA spokesperson said.
— The haze may have gone for now but Singapore’s air quality has apparently not been up to the mark over the years — at least going by the highest standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).3) in Singapore — 10ug/m3 more than the WHO’s recommended level — between 2000 and 2004.
A report issued on Tuesday by the United States-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) put the level of particulate matter here at 50-per-cent [200% ? ? ? ?] above the WHO 2005 Air Quality Guidelines — even though the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) here has been mostly in the “good” range, Solid particles 10 micrometres (PM10) in diameter or smaller, such as soot, dirt, liquid droplets, can cause health problems when inhaled.
The annual mean was 30 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m
The National Environment Agency told MediaCorp, however, that the WHO guidelines are set at “very stringent levels”. *merItOcracy ? ? ? ?*
Said an NEA spokesperson: “WHO recognised that many countries wouldn’t be able to meet the guidelines immediately, and it, therefore, set interim guidelines which countries could choose to adopt as they work towards achieving the final guidelines.”
Singapore has met three of these interim targets, which range from 30 to 70ug/m3 [medIOcrIty ? ? ? ?].
The main sources of PM10 here were motor vehicles, refineries and power stations, as well as haze from fires in Indonesia, said the NEA.
The HEI report noted that the air quality here was much better than in other cities such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, a fact the NEA also highlighted.
While the report did not look into PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) found in haze and from car emissions, Singapore similarly falls short of the WHO’s highest standards.
PM2.5 is believed to pose the greatest health risks because they can lodge deeply in the lungs and carry more toxic substances.
Short-term exposure risks include heart attacks and strokes and there are also long-term cardiovascular risks, according to the American Heart Association.
The WHO standard for PM2.5 is 10ug/m3.
Last year, the PM2.5 average here was 19ug/m3,
down from 21ug/m3 [>100+%] in 2005.
The NEA attributed the drop to the introduction of stringent vehicular emission standards and stricter enforcement action against smoke emissions from motor vehicles and industries.
Singapore’s PSI does not measure PM2.5 levels and there have been calls recently to include it.
There may well be a change when a review of the PSI is completed next year.
“These measures are regularly reviewed and refined as better pollution control technologies become available. In addition, the move to promote the use of cleaner vehicles such as CNG vehicles and the use of public transport to control the car population has also helped to keep PM2.5 emissions in check,” the NEA spokesperson said.
— The haze may have gone for now but Singapore’s air quality has apparently not been up to the mark over the years — at least going by the highest standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).3) in Singapore — 10ug/m3 more than the WHO’s recommended level — between 2000 and 2004.
(2nd LD) S. Korea's defense chief resigns over NK's artillery attack
By Lee Chi-dong SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Yonhap) -- Bowing to public pressure, President Lee Myung-bak decided Thursday to replace his defense minister accused of mishandling North Korea's deadly artillery attack earlier this week.
"In the afternoon today, President Lee decided to accept Defense Minister Kim Tae-young's resignation offer," presidential chief of staff Yim Tae-hee said in a press briefing.
The minister publicly expressed his intention to step down in May after North Korea was found to have torpedoed a 1,200-ton South Korean warship, the Cheonan, which led to the deaths of 46 sailors.
Yim said the president had delayed a decision on whether to accept his resignation offer due to a host of pending issues including annual defense ministerial talks between Seoul and Washington.
But Kim came under growing calls to step down again amid criticism that his military fumbled its initial response to the North's shelling Tuesday of Yeonpyeong Island, a populated island in the Yellow Sea, a long-time flash point between the two Koreas that remain technically at war as their 1950-53 war ended in a truce. Tuesday's assault was yet another reminder of the North's belligerence especially in that it targeted civilians. Two marines in their 20s and as many construction workers in their 60s were killed by the strike.
Yim said the president's decision to replace the minister is meant to hold him responsible for a series of recent accidents involving troops and to inject fresh air into the troubled military.
Yim said Cheong Wa Dae plans to announce Kim's replacement on Friday, with sources saying Lee Hee-won, a special security advisor to the president, will likely be named the new defense minister.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the presidential office is expected to hold a mock confirmation hearing Friday before finalizing the decision.
The outgoing minister, in the meantime, will continue his work until his successor takes office after a parliamentary hearing. In South Korea, every nominee to a cabinet post has to go through a parliamentary hearing, but is not required to win the National Assembly's approval for appointment.
Kim Byoung-gi, presidential secretary for defense affairs, will be replaced as well, Yim said.
Earlier in the day, ruling and opposition lawmakers ratcheted up their calls for the dismissal of the defense minister, other military leaders and some presidential aides.
Critics have accused the Lee administration, which took office on a pledge to get tough with Pyongyang, of taking a kid-glove approach toward the communist neighbor's bellicose behavior. They claim the North's provocations show loopholes in national security.
At the center of a controversy is the president's first public message on the attack.
Shortly after the North's mid-afternoon shelling on Tuesday, Lee convened an emergency meeting with his senior secretaries.
His spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung told reporters that Lee ordered the government to "well manage the situation to prevent the escalation" of the skirmish. The president's comments apparently set the tone for Seoul's overall response to Pyongyang's attack.
Amid reports of casualties and video footage of burning houses and forests on Yeonpyeong Island, Lee's office Cheong Wa Dae asked the media hours later to change his comments to, "Deal resolutely (with the North's move) and make all-out efforts to prevent the situation from worsening."
In the evening press briefing Tuesday, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public affairs Hong Sang-pyo said the president was misquoted as he did not directly order measures to stave off the escalation of the conflict.
But Defense Minister Kim said in a parliamentary committee meeting Wednesday that the president's first instruction was to block the spread of the exchange of fire. Kim added he believed the president made the right choice.
Cheong Wa Dae belatedly explained that it was indeed presidential aides who presented the opinion, not Lee. It remains unclear whether the president actually made the remarks or if it was just a communication mistake.
"The controversy (over Lee's comments at that time) is already abnormal," Kim Yong-kap, a standing advisor to the conservative governing Grand National Party (GNP) said in a radio program Thursday. "If presidential aides announced like that, they should be punished."
The defense minister should be fired for another operational failure after the Cheonan case, he added.
A GNP lawmaker said on condition of anonymity, "The defense minister at least should have ordered a strike by (our) fighter jets on the enemy's bases. Then, the president's instruction to prevent the situation from escalating should have followed."
"The government's response was wrong," he added.
Park Jie-won, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, leveled criticism at the Lee administration's policy on the North itself.
"There were no such unfortunate things for the 10 years under the past Democratic Party administration whose policy was resilient," he said. "The government promised to completely destroy (North Korea) if it opens fire, but it responded like this."
The government should be responsible for a "belated response and lax defense posture," he added.
Even some ranking government officials pointed out that the military lost a chance to retaliate for the Cheonan incident. "It is too late to do something on North Korea's attack as it would constitute a new provocation by South Korea," an official said, requesting anonymity.
In South Korea, every nominee to a cabinet post has to go through a ... The defense minister should be fired for another operational failure after the ...
26 Nov 2010 ...South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Friday appointed his security ...to hit back hard if North Korea strikes again, and blasted China's failure to...South Korean defence minister resigns over North Korea's attack ... www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1095654/1/.html
25 Nov 2010 ... In South Korea, every nominee to a cabinet post has to go through a ...The defense minister should be fired for another operational failure... english.yonhapnews.co.kr/.../0301000000AEN20101125012300320F. HTML
25 Nov 2010 ...South Korean Defence Minister Kim Tae-young has resigned following condemantion from South Koreans over his failure to react approporaitely... jimbenderoxford.blogspot.com/.../south-korean-defence-minister-has.html
25 Nov 2010 ...South Korea?s Defence Minister Kim Tae-young looks at the destroyed ...North Korea's belligerence reflects failure of non-proliferation... www.theglobeandmail.com/.../south-koreas-defence-minister.../ article1812925/
25 Nov 2010 ...South Korea's defence minister Kim Tae-young resigned today amid widespread public criticism of his department's failure to anticipate or... www.vancouversun.com/...South+Korea+Defence+Minister.../story.html
25 Nov 2010 ... SEOUL- South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young resigned Thursday, two days after North Korea fired artillery onto the South's territory ... www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/.../AR2010112503189.html
25 Nov 2010 ...South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young walks past a Vietnamese...notable for its failure to condemn or even criticize North Korea.... www.npr.org/.../s-korea-boosts-security-after-n-korea-attack - Add to iGoogle
25 Nov 2010 ...South Korea's defence ministry Tuesday ruled out the redeployment of US...US stresses Iran's 'continued failure' to comply with IAEA... www.spacewar.com/ - Cached - Similar
20 Nov 2010 ...South Korea defense minister quits after attack | Video... Gates said failure to ratify the treaty would leave the United States with no ... www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AJ1C020101120 - Cached
SINGAPORE: This year’s top PSLE student comes from Rosyth School.
He is Alex Tan Kian Hye who scored an aggregate of 282.
"I was really shocked cause I didn’t expect that I would get such a high score," said Alex.
The highest PSLE score ever recorded was 294 in 2007, by a St Hilda pupil.
Alex said creating his own notes using simpler words helped him study better.
But he credits his grandmother as his main source of motivation.
"Every time I brought home my exam papers, she would always encourage me to do better, she would say that I’m capable of doing better (than what I had done," said Alex.
Alex has secured a place in the Integrated Programme at Raffles Institution (RI).
The top Malay PSLE student is Aqilah Dariah Mohd Zulkarnain from Coral Primary.
"I’ve been working very hard ever since I was in Primary 5 as I know its a very crucial year for me," she said.
With an aggregate score of 278, the head prefect plans to go to Raffles Girls School, and hopes to become a doctor someday.
Muhammad Hameem from Henry Park Primary emerged as the top Indian PSLE pupil with an aggregate of 274. He will join Alex Tan at RI.
"I sacrificed some of my playtime of course, but I had this thought in my mind — after PSLE, I can do anything I want. So I studied hard," he said.
Lendermann Monika Jia—xin of CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace is the top Eurasian student who obtained an aggregate score of 269.
The Education Ministry (MOE) said 20 schools had at least one student with an aggregate score of 275.
They include Anglo—Chinese School (Primary), Casuarina Primary and Coral Primary.
MOE said 97.3 per cent (43,826) of the students who sat for the PSLE this year would proceed to secondary school. Last year, it was 97.1 per cent.
Of the pupils going to secondary one, 63.5 per cent are eligible for the Express course, 22.1 per cent for the Normal (Academic) and 11.7 per cent for the Normal (Technical) course.
MOE said 2.7 per cent are assessed not ready for secondary school or more suited for vocational training.
Of these, pupils who have attempted PSLE once and are not over—aged can choose to apply to Assumption Pathway School (APS) or NorthLight School (NLS) based on recommendations of their primary school principals.
They can also opt to spend another year in Primary 6 to consolidate their learning.
The remaining pupils are those who have been unsuccessful after repeated attempts at the PSLE or are over—aged.
These pupils will be offered a place in APS or NLS.
Eligible students will receive on Thursday their option forms to select secondary schools along with the PSLE results slips.
Their secondary one posting results will be released on December 22.
Pupils are to report to the secondary schools they are posted to on December 23, at 8.30 am.
Here're some tips from NUH dietitian Phoebe Tay on how you can "trick" your body into feeling full with a smaller portion of food.
- Instead of eating off shared plates from the dining table, pre-portion a meal first. Scoop out your own portion of rice, meat, fish and vegetables. Remember, no second helpings.
- Eat slowly and chew well for about 20 times per bite. One tip is to put your spoon down between mouthfuls, and finish one mouthful before putting in another. This triggers a "feedback mechanism" which limit gastrointestinal activity, promoting satiety.
- Opt for high-fibre foods such as wholegrains. They slow down digestion and keep you full for a longer time.
- Eat your veggies first. The fibre occupies space in the stomach, slowing down digestion and helps you feel full earlier.
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