Is there something wrong with people’s health today?

The writer is a PhD holder in biblical studies.

There is a sense that cancer is striking more at a younger age, and the Ministry of Health has disclosed that two in five Singaporeans aged 20 and above have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, as reported in “Masterplan to leverage on the general practitioner community” (Sept 21).

Former Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan blogged in January: “Our key mission is to keep Singaporeans well and healthy.  That is why we call ourselves the Health Ministry not the Sickness Ministry.”

Prevention may be the answer to shortages in hospital beds and healthcare providers.

As the majority of the population eats out, it may be necessary to keep track of what is dished out by the many local and foreign food vendors. This involves checking the ingredients used as well as the food preparation and storage.

No doubt, hawker stalls are categorised into A, B, C or D grades, but these measure only “the overall hygiene, cleanliness and housekeeping standards” of retail food premises, according to the National Environment Agency website.

Food toxicity can remain undetected.

Our diet consists primarily of mass-produced crops and processed food, which are inevitably tainted by growth hormones, fertilisers, pesticides, preservatives and additives.

Yet, it is often observed in food courts that vegetables are taken straight from the shopping bag to the chopping board. Daily consumption of even allowable standards of such chemicals could be adverse to health.

In some instances, pails are used to store food.

Are vendors aware of the different grades of plastics suitable for food storage?

Bisphenol A or phthalate seepage from containers can cause hormonal changes and affect sperm count.

Could our declining birth rate be aggravated by unwelcome chemicals in our diet?

These issues are complex and need to be investigated through social and scientific research.

Even the United States Food and Drug Administration’s standards are not infallible:

Certain plastics once deemed safe to make milk bottles are now said to be harmful. Food toxicity is becoming a worldwide issue.

I commend the investment of research resources in public health, reported in

“Data to be collected to improve healthcare” (Sept 20).

Professor Saw Swee Hock’s philanthropic contribution of S$30 million to a School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore reflects a sense of urgency. Polytechnics can offer related courses.

More feared than acute sickness are the silent killers (chronic diseases), which could be due to food toxicity gone unnoticed.