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Lack of Physical Activity is Causing Health Issues

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A study by the World Health Organization in 2000 mentioned that the lack of physical activity in youths is causing serious overweight and obesity issues. Obesity is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate in both developed and developing countries. There are many health consequences for obesity ranging from individuals having a higher risk of premature death to having a poor quality of life. Obesity is the cause of many life threatening disease and chronic health problems such as cancer. According to the Singapore National Health Survey conducted in 2010, between 1992 and 2010, the obesity rate in Singapore residents aged between 18 to 69 years old, has more than doubled from 5.1% of the population to 10.8% of the population that are obese. Possible reasons for the rise in obesity rate in Singapore could be the easy access to affordable food such as food from the hawker centres and fast food joints, which tend to contain higher amount of fats and less nutrients. There is also a lack of time to engage in exercises and physical activity due to the demands of work and cultural beliefs that associates higher amount of body fats to prosperity and wealth.
The education system in Singapore is anchored on the holistic development of a child. Holistic development of a child can be divided into two broad areas: academic excellence and character education. Physical Education is one of the main drivers for character education. However, it sometimes comes as a challenge for schools to

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