Resources

General Public Resources

Overview

Obesity is a condition of abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat to the extent that health may be adversely affected.

Based on the Singapore National Population Health Survey 2024 among Singapore residents ages 18-74:

1 in 8

lived with obesity*

22.8%

were in the high risk BMI category**

43.6%

were found to have abdominal obesity***

* Obesity refers to a body mass index equal to or greater than 30 kg/m² (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²).

** An individual is considered as having high risk BM if his / her BMI is equal to or greater than 27.5 kg/m²

*** An individual is considered to have abdominal obesity if their waist circumference is greater than the established thresholds: 90cm for men and 80cm for women.

Complications

1

Cardiovascular Diseases

Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke, which are the leading causes of death worldwide.

3

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Carrying excess weight can lead to musculoskeletal disorders including osteoarthritis.

2

Diabetes

Being overweight can also lead to diabetes and its associated conditions, including blindness, limb amputations, and the need for dialysis. Rates of diabetes have quadrupled since around the world since 1980.

4

Cancers

Obesity is also associated with some cancers, including endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney and colon.

The risk of these noncommunicable diseases increases even when a person is only slightly overweight and grows more serious as the body mass index (BMI) climbs.

Obesity in childhood is also associated with a wide range of serious health complications and an increased risk of premature onset of related illnesses. Studies have found that without intervention, children and adolescents with obesity will likely continue to be obese into adulthood.