In collaboration with the School and Mediacorp, the Tampines Group Representation Constituency engaged its residents at the ‘Eat Healthy, Live Healthy’ talk-show held at Our Tampines Hub on 20 September 2017. Professor Teo Yik Ying, Vice Dean (Research), and Dr Mary Chong were featured as panellists, together with Mr Desmond Choo, Mayor of the North East Community Development Council, Mediacorp artiste Zheng Ge Ping and Dr Fadzil Hamzah, a sports physician at Changi Sports Medicine Centre, Changi General Hospital.
Prof Teo gave an overview of the state of chronic diseases in Singapore, particularly focused on diabetes. He touched on the issues of the rapid rate of ageing, obesity and the relationship between chronic disease and age, ending his segment with the duties each individual must commit to in order to reduce the risk of diabetes.
Dr Chong’s segment focused on the food and nutrition aspect of healthy living. Starting with Health Promotion Board’s ‘My Healthy Plate’, Dr Chong elaborated on whole grains, healthy oils and hidden sugars. She also reminded the audience that just because something is marked ‘Lower in Sugar’ does not mean it has ‘No Sugar’, and should still be drunk in moderation.
After Prof Teo’s and Dr Chong’s talks and a round of question-and-answer, the programme featured a live cooking demonstration where the chef served panellists and members of the audience ‘healthy fruity fried brown rice’.
The second half of the talk-show focused on the physical activity aspect of healthy living, with Dr Fadzil sharing tips on how individuals can clock 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, and Mr Zheng sharing his experience in getting fit and healthy in spite of his previous injuries. Mr Zheng also demonstrated some ‘hacks’ that senior citizens can use when exercising at home, such as holding on to a chair for support when doing squats or lunges, and reminded the audience that it is important to do warm-ups, stretch and, above all, understand and listen to their body.
The event ended with a meet-and-greet session with Mr Zheng and members of the audience clarifying questions with Prof Teo, Dr Chong and Dr Fadzil.