Ever wondered how Singapore would fare on a list that ranks Southeast Asians according to weight?
According to an Seasia Stats infographic, we’re pretty high on that chart.
The stats, taken from The World Factbook – CIA, shows the percentage of the overweight population in Southeast Asia from 2016 to 2024.
The results state: “The prevalence of obesity among adults in Southeast Asia, defined as having a BMI of 30kg/m² or higher, is expressed as a percentage.”
In the top two spots are Brunei and Malaysia, with 28.2 per cent and 19.7 per cent.
Then we have Singapore. Apparently, 11.6 per cent of our population are overweight. We are tied in third place with Thailand.
The complete list goes: Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines (9.3%), Indonesia (6.9%), Myanmar (5.8%), Laos (5.6%), Cambodia (3.8%), Vietnam (1.7%), and Timor-Leste (1.1%).
If the list is to be believed, then about one in every 10 Singaporeans are overweight, and netizens had plenty to say about it on Reddit.
Many attributed our higher obesity rate to our heavy consumption of sugary drinks and our well-connected transport system. Seriously?!
“Humidity and heat deters also people from walking,” wrote one netizen.
Others said our food can be considered “relatively cheap”, so we can have heavy meals without worrying about costs.
Another netizen also believed that local dishes are mostly sodium and carb-heavy and it makes us gain weight faster.
On the contrary, people from Timor Leste mainly consume carbs, fish, greens, and root vegetables like taro and potato, with less processed food.
A Vietnamese netizen said they were “shocked Singaporeans could walk 2-3km a day but still get obese”.
“Then I went to a hawker, ordered a local dish, and understood why. Too much oil and greasy food,” they added.
Singaporeans generally weren’t surprised by the results, with some also attributing it to “stress eating”.
Some believed the data was “negatively framed” and that we are doing pretty okay when stacked against other well-developed countries. Just for comparison, the obesity rate for the US from 2021 to 2023 is 40.3%.
Also, it’s been said that BMI is a poor tool to measure obesity as it doesn’t take into account muscle mass, the distribution of fat in one’s body, and one’s metabolic health.
Do you think Singaporeans need to hit the gym more?