Globalization has
increased cross-border interaction and integrated various aspects of human
activity. “McDonaldization” (Keel, 2010, para. 1) is a good example of
globalization. It is a process of growing fast food restaurants such as
McDonald's, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut all over the world. McDonald's, with
32,000 outlets in 117 countries, is the biggest fast food chain in the world (Salisbury,
2011).
Nowadays,
worldwide trends in fast food result in massive dietary changes in Singapore.
Many people, especially children, put oily and salty food as their first choice
because they think those food are much tastier than homecooked food. However,
long term consumption of oily food among children contributes to obesity.
According to Gan (2013, as cited in Lee, 2013), Singapore’s childhood obesity
rate has inched upwards over the past decade. In 2011, about 11 percent of
school-age children were overweight, based on the Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age
norms introduced in 2010. From 2000 to 2009, the prevalence rate hovered around
9.7 percent, based on weight-for-height norms. To ameliorate this problem,
Singapore government can restrict the fast food advertisements and implement
school based intervention.
In Singapore,
many shopping malls have a lot of fast food restaurants that sell the same
predictable products such as burgers, French fries and soft drinks. These items
are extremely unhealthy with high content of cholesterol, sugar, salt and even
chemical additives. For instance, each fast food meal is packed with more
calories than children needs in one day. Therefore,
children’s bodies store the extra calories in fat cells to use for energy
later. However, if this pattern continues over time, their bodies do not need
this stored energy, more fat cells are developed and it may cause obesity
(Kaneshiro & Zieve, 2012). This directly increases the risk of
suffering from chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure
and heart diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Indisputably,
more weight-related health problems may be experienced by obese children if
they do not have well control of their dietary habits.
Furthermore,
childhood obesity can affect mental health and emotional development of
children. Obese children are more likely to have poor body image, as well as
low confidence and self-esteem. For example, they may be mocked and
discriminated against by their friends. Studies have shown that adolescents and
young adults with obesity in the West are less likely to achieve higher
education and better pay, and less likely to be married (Gan, 2013, as cited in
Lee, 2013, para. 9). This is a bad phenomenon as it could affect future human
capital in Singapore.
To solve these
problems, policy approaches can be used to raise awareness of children,
especially those who are obese. The Singapore government can restrict the fast
food advertisements, especially those are targeted on children, as they are
more susceptible to commercial persuasion. Reported by Health Promotion Board
(n.d.), children, especially the younger ones, do not comprehend the persuasive
intent of advertising. They generally lack the capability to effectively
evaluate commercial claims and appeals, and therefore tend to accept the
information conveyed in advertising as truthful, accurate and unbiased. Children
cannot be blamed if they love Happy Meals at McDonald’s after they see fast
food advertisements. Therefore, restriction of those advertisements can
effectively minimize children’s exposure to fast food and reduce obesity rate
among them.
Moreover, school
based intervention can be implemented by Singapore government. According to
Hartman (2012), Singapore
has the intriguingly named Model Tuck-Shop Program. Schools are provided with a set of healthier food
service guidelines to aim to limit students’ exposure to unhealthy food
typically consumed in the tuck shops. It is a great solution as it reduces
childhood obesity. To improve on this existing solution, the government can
strictly limit the types of food that can be
sold in school. For example, junk food should be banned from being sold.
Schools which fail to comply with the
limitation could be penalized.
In conclusion, massive
dietary changes affect children’s choice of food. Fast food, as example, is
always their first choice compare to other healthy meals. Undeniably, it causes
obesity among children and affects their physical and mental health. The Singapore
government should recognize the seriousness of childhood obesity and try to
mitigate it through policy approaches.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Healthy weight – it’s not a diet, it’s a
lifestyle!. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from
Hartman, P. (2012, May 2). Singapore revisited. Childhood Obesity News. Retrieved
October 10, 2013, from
Health Promotion Board. (n.d.). Public consultation on the Proposed Strengthening of Food Advertising
Guidelines for Children. Retrieved October 10, 2013, from
Kaneshiro, N.K., & Zieve, D. (2012, January 8).
Causes and risks for obesity-children. U.S.
National Library of Medicine. Retrieved October 17, 2013, from
