In TODAY’s conversations with public housing residents, many of them expressed this sentiment: While they understand the importance of a nutritious diet, they said they simply cannot afford it given the rising cost of living.
At the same time, the resources of the aid organizations that provide food to these low-income families are also strained due to lower donations and higher costs.
As part of an initiative to encourage people to eat healthier, health authorities announced on Thursday (22 August) the introduction of nutritional labels for instant noodles, salt, cooking oil and sauces in a bid to reduce the local population’s high sodium and saturated fat intake.
The 2023 National Population Health Survey, which also examined population reports on chronic diseases, found that there is a “much lower” incidence of hypertension among people with post-secondary education than among people with primary and secondary education.
Similarly, a larger percentage of residents with primary school education reported having high cholesterol and diabetes than those with secondary or post-secondary education.
The national survey uses the highest level of education achieved as an indicator of “socioeconomic factors”.
HIGH STANDARDS FOR HEALTH
Mrs Nurul Jannah Jumari, 25, who lives with her husband in a two-room rented apartment, is trying to prepare healthier meals for her five children aged one to seven.
Her children have a genetic blood disorder that affects their immune system, so she makes it a point to add vegetables to their diet, even if they don’t like the taste.
“I would like to try organic vegetables and better rice, but it is very expensive. Better quality rice tastes better,” says Ms Jannah, who runs a home-based business.
Assistant Professor Ian Ang of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health said “indirect costs” also need to be taken into account when assessing a person’s access to affordable, healthy food.
This includes the cost of the equipment and facilities needed to cook and store food, as well as the time and skill required to prepare meals.
In addition, habits and preferences play a role in why some people are less inclined to resort to healthier meals first.
Ms Siti Nurani Salim, founder of Project Goodwill Aid, a volunteer group that distributes food and groceries in tenement houses, agreed with these points.
She said many low-income families were developing irregular eating habits and were being pushed towards less healthy convenience foods or fast food.
“Healthy cooked food is not meant to be reheated or to be kept for longer. Most of these families opt for cooking methods that make food last longer, such as deep-frying, to save time and operational costs,” said Ms Nurani.
Yong En Care Centre, a charity that helps various disadvantaged groups, said some of its beneficiaries take the “path of least resistance” when planning their diets, for example giving in to their children’s desires for processed foods.
“Due to everyday stressors, families may not be able to make more conscious choices for healthier options when it is much easier to prepare something that is quick and easy.”
The organization stated that food intake and quality have a major impact on the physical and mental well-being of its beneficiaries.
“Poor nutrition makes children vulnerable to disease and underdevelopment, while an unbalanced diet reduces their ability to work,” it continues.
More than a quarter of welfare recipients (27 percent) cited poor physical health as the reason for their unemployment.
Normah Salim, 56, works part-time at a vegetable stall and lives alone in a one-room apartment in Geylang Bahru. She says that external support is only of limited use.
The monthly food distribution improves the nutrition of people in her community, which includes many elderly people with chronic illnesses. However, she has also observed that some residents receive duplicate food that they cannot consume.
“Some older people are not used to eating canned food, especially meat and curry. They are (cautious to eat it) because in some ways it is not healthy either.”
