Singaporeans second most physically active of six Asian countries surveyed, but scored poorer in other areas of wellness
Image via Betsy Chen
16 December 2021, Singapore - A survey of over 10,000 respondents from Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand done by Evolution Wellness in October this year has revealed that while Singaporeans are now leading healthier lives by exercising more, many continue to experience mental health problems, with financial and work stress cited as the top reasons for mental health issues.
According to the Ministry of Health, Singapore’s obesity rate has also risen to its highest level since 2010, with some attributing this to stress, which is found to cause people to overeat, more so during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Image via The Row Space
There were also recent studies that suggests Singaporeans are consuming more alcohol amid the pandemic, with 7 in 10 Singaporeans finding 2021 to be the most stressful year they've faced to date.
Developed to explore five key pillars of what Evolution Wellness Group believe are indicative of a individual's well-being, the Evolution Wellness Index can be classified into Moving Well, Eating Well, Thinking Well, Doing Well, and Thriving Well.
Image via SportSG
Of the close to 1,000 correspondents from Singapore who took part in the survey, 74% indicated that they were physically active, which comes in second highest in Asia, with Asia's average coming in at 72%.
Tellingly however, of these 74% only two out of five say they feel like they get enough sleep each night, while 45% do not have enough energy to get through the day, and 50% experience aches and pains on a normal day.
Image via SportSG
Singaporeans also have the poorest eating habits across the Asian countries that took part in the survey, with 48% admitting to eating more processed foods rather than whole foods, while 53% do not eat a balanced diet.
Where mental resilience and mental health is concerned, Singaporeans were also among the most stressed, with 28% highlighting that they feel stressed, coming in above Asia’s average of 24%, while 35% do not have an optimistic outlook.