Childhood Obesity has been a persistent problem in Singapore for the last two decades. In 2010, the prevalence of overweight or severely overweight in Singapore was 12% among primary school students and 10.5% among secondary school students1. In Asians, overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 23 kg/m2 and Obesity is defined as a BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2. Comparing children of the same age and gender, a child is overweight when his or her BMI is between the 85th and 95thcentile and Obesity is present when the BMI is ≥ 95th centile.
The BMI is calculated using the formula below:
BMI = weight (kg) ÷ [height (m)]2
Obesity is caused by a combination of excessive calorie intake, lack of exercise and genetic factors. In some children, Obesity is caused by certain diseases and medications.
Source: 1HPB-MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines 1/2016