The issue of overweight children in Singapore needs to be looked at now.

Experts have described how childhood obesity can contribute to future medical issues like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease and osteoarthritis.

Studies have also shown that obesity may increase the risk of severe Covid-19. This is reflected in the Ministry of Health's Covid-19 paediatric risk criteria, which places obesity in the intermediate risk category.

Recently, I attended to a 10-year-old boy who weighs 70kg - nearly double the average weight of children his age - and a 16-year-old girl who weighs 84kg.

These are becoming regular occurrences in my practice - medical colleagues echo my sentiments - and I have noticed how parents often laugh it off (many of these parents are overweight as well).

The Ministry of Education has a Holistic Health Framework to develop the total well-being of students, while the Health Promotion Board offers a variety of age-targeted health-promoting programmes.

There are also comprehensive childhood weight management programmes at the specialist healthcare level. Many of these interventions are free or affordable, with financial aid available if needed.

I am curious about the following:

Are students' participation and progress in such programmes monitored?

Do these programmes have key performance indicators? If so, are they being met?

Are outcomes tracked and studied to identify gaps and areas for improvement?

In a recent Straits Times article, "Chronic kidney disease on the rise in Singapore: NKF medical director" (Jan 27), a dialysis patient described his love for sugary drinks in his younger days.

He contracted diabetes in his late teens, followed by end-stage kidney failure at the age of 35.

Singapore indeed has a world-class healthcare system with impressive life expectancies.

But much more important is one's "healthspan", defined as the length of time that a person is in good health.

We are already preparing for the impending silver tsunami. It is imperative that schools and government agencies address childhood obesity before its consequences become unmanageable.

Oh Jen Jen (Dr)