The Government has been carrying out an aggressive campaign to fight diabetes. Part of the awareness campaign is about having a healthy diet.

Yet, it is difficult to find healthy options in our food centres. For instance, there are no stores that serve wholemeal or wheat bread for breakfast, or salad for lunch.

I think it is timely to promote healthy eating, and the best way is to start at the hawker centres.

The Health Promotion Board should encourage the setting up of stores that serve nutritious bread or oats for breakfast, salad for lunch, and fish like salmon for dinner.

I am sure if the food is delicious and affordable, more Singaporeans will buy them.

The Government may want to provide incentives and subsidies to enable stallholders to operate the stores and to attract more customers.

If 10 per cent to 20 per cent of the population switch to a healthy diet, we are talking about 100,000 to 200,000 fewer people who will be diabetic in their lifetime.

This will greatly reduce the medical costs to the state. The savings could go into the incentives and subsidies.

A desperate situation calls for immediate action.

Goh Geok Huat