SINGAPORE - The new season of the National Steps Challenge, which aims to encourage people to increase their levels of physical activity, was launched by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) on Saturday (Oct 1).

It is set to reach 250,000 Singaporeans.

The first edition of the National Steps Challenge, which was launched in November last year, had 156,000 participants.

According to the National Health Survey 2010, 39 per cent of adults are not getting sufficient physical activity.

Speaking on healthy lifestyles and the war against diabetes, Minister of State for Health Chee Hong Tat emphasised early screening for diabetes: "Today, a lot of people don't (see a doctor after getting positive results)...so we need to rethink what are the schemes in place to encourage and help more Singaporeans to go for screening, and to follow up."