SINGAPORE - Rows of giant eyeballs sit atop ice cream cones, a barbecue pit stacked with salted human hearts and kidneys being roasted on a spit, as well as a coffin which opens up to reveal the contents of a refrigerator.
These macabre exhibits at the Museum of the World's Deadliest Weapons are part of efforts by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to raise awareness about diabetes and the dangers of consuming too much sugar, salt and fat.
The exhibition was launched by Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor at the Raffles Place Park on Wednesday (May 29).
"The exhibition is aimed at jolting the public to re-examine any complacent attitudes that they may have about developing pre-diabetes or diabetes," said Dr Khor.
"It is meant to be both entertaining and educational, and has been designed with a grim twist to highlight some of the unexpected dangers in our everyday habits and lifestyle choices."
One of the exhibits, the Eye Scream, for example, is accompanied by a description of diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes in which blood vessels in the eye swell, rupture or leak fluids, causing distorted vision or blindness.
The barbecue pit highlights the damage that excessive salt intake can cause to the heart and the danger of diabetes-induced kidney failure, while the Coffin Fridge shows how much sugar and fat are contained in common snacks and beverages.
Another exhibit makes use of virtual reality to give visitors a close encounter with the Grim Reaper in a lift to show the risk of early death associated with a lack of physical activity.
A recent survey by the HPB found that one in four respondents mistakenly believed that people with diabetes should avoid exercising, Dr Khor said.
She added: "This shows that there are still misconceptions about diabetes among the public. We need to continue our efforts to reach out to more Singaporeans and educate them on diabetes prevention."
The travelling exhibition will move to Our Tampines Hub on Friday and be there until Sunday. It will then move to other shopping malls, workplaces and educational institutions around Singapore.
More details about the locations and timings can be found on the HPB's HealthHub website.
