NEWSLETTERS
GLOBAL HEALTH
INTRODUCTION
Dear friends, in November 2014, the McKinsey Global Institute published a comprehensive economic analysis of the global burden of obesity, titled “Overcoming obesity: An initial economic analysis”. In this report, one segment that caught my interest was the initial chapters on the complex causes of obesity. Did you know that we could consume 35 per cent more calories when we have dinner with a friend than when eating alone? Or that we can consume almost double the amount of calories if we dine in a group of seven people. We humans are social creatures, and we are strongly influenced by social norms and cues, especially in our eating habits.
Thus it should not come as a surprise that our past two newsletters in 2014 were timed to be published and distributed during the Lunar New Year and Hari Raya, in the hope that we could provide timely advice on eating healthily and exercising, even during such festive periods. Our first newsletter for this year coincides with Easter; and here our Sports Trainer, Brandon, will give you some exercises to perform to help burn those calories from feasting on chocolate, Easter eggs, hot cross buns, and cakes. Singapore is finally hosting the SEA Games after a long hiatus, and one must also feel the spirit in the air to get more active. To help us, Grace, our dietitian, sheds light on eating for exercise, providing useful tips for fueling and refueling ourselves
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FOOD FOR FITNESS EASTER Edition
n March 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised the sugar guidelines, dropping the recommendation from 10% of your daily calorie intake to 5% (approximately 6 teaspoons (tsp) or 25g/day).
Should we eat or not eat before or after exercising? There is no specific answer as it varies individually. Several factors, such as the duration, type of exercise and one’s health conditions play a role on how the body process food. Exercising burns fewer calories than you expect. Having a healthy balanced diet is important for exercise as your muscles rely on the food you eat daily. Carbohydrates, when digested become sugar, is essential as they help to maintain blood glucose levels and replace muscle glycogen (main fuel source for endurance exercise). Healthy food choices, appropriate portion sizes and good hydration will help fuel you to success. Diet, physical activity and incidental activity are crucial in weight loss; but remember, what helped you achieve your goal helps you to maintain it too.
Dr
Grace Seow Dietitian Joanna Tan Senior Dietitian