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Singapore has joined the ranks of Okinawa and Sardinia as a Blue Zone – regions in the world where people live longer and healthier, beyond the age of 80 due to their way of life. But while Japan’s and Italy’s Blue Zones are a product of traditional diet and lifestyle, Dan Buettner – the man behind the concept – says Singapore’s status as Blue Zone 2.0 is a result of policy, rather than culture.
"I named Singapore a Blue Zone 2.0. It’s a different category. But it’s the first in a new category of manufactured Blue Zones. It’s a new order of longevity and health, and the rest of the world should be paying attention."
While the Blue Zone 2.0 status is a result of policy, the Government is also aiming to inculcate a healthy living culture, something particularly important given Singapore’s ageing population and rising healthcare costs. To borrow the old adage, prevention is better than cure. "We are the Ministry of Health (MOH), not the Ministry of Hospitals. All over the world, we focus so much resources and energy on hospitals and acute care. But MOH should be about building health for the population. Therefore, Healthier SG, Age Well SG… these are important long-term measures for us to rebuild health."
Aside from exercise, social connections play a big role in leading a longer, healthier life, especially for the elderly who can become isolated and lonely. To this extent, Active Ageing Centres near homes provide a space to interact and take part in activities like Zumba workouts.
To further encourage Singaporeans to take charge of their health, the Government launched the Healthier SG programme in July 2023, where residents can register and choose their preferred clinic for a free consultation. The aim is for residents to come up with a health plan together with their family doctor, who can recommend activities in the community through the Healthy 365 app.
"Through the consultations with the Healthier SG patients, we build a good rapport with them so they feel more ready to speak to us about their problems. And we also use these consultations to encourage them to have a healthier lifestyle and go for vaccinations and health screenings."
ActiveSG was launched in 2014 to get Singaporeans to participate in sports and use the facilities such as gyms and swimming pools. To date, the national movement has a 2.5 million membership base. Building on the popularity, the Active Health programme was launched in 2017 to get Singaporeans to take ownership of their health through screenings at one of nine Active Health labs. The biometric screening gives you data on your body composition and is followed with advice on your health and fitness from the coaches at hand.
"Body fat-wise, it is slightly on the higher side but I think it’s still okay. As long as you put on the muscle mass, it should drop proportionately. When I saw the result, it said I had a lot of body fat, which I didn’t expect because my BMI (body mass index) was around 21, 22."
The Active Health programme also offers subsidised strength-training workshops for those aged 40 and above to combat muscle loss, which kicks in after we turn 30. Instructors would guide participants in using simple equipment so that they can continue the exercises at home.
"Before this, I really didn’t have the time. No time. No self-discipline. So with the Active Health and Stronger at 40 programmes, they gave me a road map. I found that very helpful. I really like the fact that it’s all guided – where the weaknesses are in your body and what you should do to strengthen it."
When you talk about healthspan, it’s about being independent as you age, being active and having a good quality of life. A big part comes from strength training but it is also important to do exercises that are functional, which means they mimic what you would do on a daily basis, like lunges, squats and even deadlifts.
But as the saying goes, you can’t outrun a bad diet. On this front, the Government is waging two wars – one on diabetes and the other, on salt. On the front line, guiding the public in its supermarket purchases are the Nutri-Grade and Healthier Choice labels. But with 1 in 3 Singaporeans eating out more than 7 times a week, perhaps it’s time to take a hard look at the food choices available in our hawker centres and coffee shops.
Any change is challenging. Food and dietary habits are even more challenging, particularly in a place like Singapore, where all of us are unabashed foodies. That said, we have to recognise that things have changed, we do need to evolve the food. Some of the simple things we can do would be to recognise that some of our heritage foods are not the healthiest for us. It’s not that we forgo them but like how the French won’t eat foie gras every day, we make sure the least healthy of our traditional foods are a treat to be indulged every now and then. Some foods that we may eat every day or a couple of times a week or month, like rojak, we can ask for less sauce and more peanuts or vegetables, and that can improve the overall health content of these foods.
According to Dan Buettner, what truly defines a Blue Zone comes back to the environment: how our city and estates are built so that we move more and interact with others – almost by default. In Singapore, we are building wider footpaths and covered walkways to clock in those steps from home to public transport. Park connectors and fitness corners near our homes to work up a sweat. Community spaces within our estates for activities and for residents to socialise.
There are many factors to consider when thinking about increasing the healthspan of a nation, especially as lifestyles change. With these programmes and initiatives, the Government aims to lower the barrier so that our journey towards a longer, healthier life isn’t such an uphill one.