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  • Essay / The Issue of Elderly Malnutrition in Singapore

    Table of ContentsMunch & Move Campaign “Munch and Move: Songs to Sing and Groove to” Music CDLunch Box IdeasResource for Food Learning Experiences healthyManaging malnutrition in SingaporeIsolationInsufficient knowledge of preparing healthy mealsInsufficient knowledge about nutrition Value of FoodStrategies OverviewThis report focuses on the increasing prevalence of malnutrition among the elderly in Singapore (Lim, 2018). Malnutrition among the elderly in Singapore is caused by isolation, lack of knowledge about preparing healthy meals, and lack of knowledge about the nutritional value of foods. We decided to target people aged 62 to 80 because the retirement age is 62 and life expectancy in Singapore is 82 (Ministry of Manpower, 2018) (Singapore , third country in the world for life expectancy, 2017). We engaged the New South Wales (NSW) Government to study their success in advertising and promoting healthy eating to children aged 0-5 years in New South Wales, Australia . We then applied the lessons learned from the Singapore case study to encourage healthier eating habits among older adults. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayMunch & Move CampaignFirst, we analyzed the promotional techniques used in “Munch & Move” to promote healthy eating (Figure 1). “Munch & Move” is an ongoing campaign since 2008. It aims to promote healthy eating habits among children aged 0-5 years (NSW Department of Education, Office of Sport and Heart Foundation, 2018). Figure 1 “Eat and Move” campaign. Munch & Move promotes healthy eating among children by targeting preschool teachers and daycare operators. They offer courses for teachers and operators provided by the Early Childhood Training and Resource Center (ECTARC). It consists of 4 modules, each lasting 2 hours (NSW Department of Education, Office of Sport and the Heart Foundation, 2018). Since the launch of the campaign, improvements in healthy eating have been recorded. Water or age-appropriate drinks distributed daily to children increased from 50.5% in 2012 to 76.0% in 2015. Daily monitoring of the nutritional value of foods in these children's lunch boxes increased from 88.9% in 2012 to 76.0% in 2015. 93.3% in 2015. Figure 2Statistics showing the campaign was a success. “Munch and Move: Songs to Sing and Groove to” Music CDOne of the techniques used are songs that convey healthy eating messages, with a songbook for reference. The songs were compiled onto a musical compact disc (CD) “Munch and Move: Songs to sing and groove to” which was provided by the organizers of the Munch & Move campaign to child care operators. Snack and Move Songbook Figure 3. 2 One of the pages of the songbook These songs were used to encourage learning about healthy eating by facilitating activities such as group singing during children's lunchtimes . Songs convey messages more effectively than words (Alexandria Miller, 2017). It stimulates memory, allowing easier retention of information. Through this, we learned that music can be used to help retain information better. Lunch Box Ideas Another Techniqueused by Munch & Move is to improve children's lunch boxes and make them suitable and healthy by educating parents on how to prepare their children's lunch boxes. The Munch & Move campaign promotes this idea via a modular poster that provides step-by-step instructions for preparing healthy, child-friendly lunch boxes. A modular poster consists of a set of standardized parts or independent units that can be used to build a more complex structure. This is clear from the promotional poster, as the foods are classified into their respective food groups forming different modules. Users preparing the meal can mix and match the different food options in each module based on their preferences (University of Redlands, 2018). Due to the flexibility and simplicity of the modular and mix-and-match concepts, cooking and food preparation becomes less complicated, encouraging parents to prepare healthy meals for their children. This is evident since after the campaign, the number of children eating at least one serving of fruit per day increased from 92.5% in 2012 to 93.6% in 2015 (NSW Department of Health). South, 2015). Through this, we have learned that including information formatted in modular and mix-and-match concepts is effective because it is flexible and comprehensive for users to understand (University of Redlands, 2018). Healthy Eating Learning Experiences Resource Another technique used by Munch & Move was providing educators with resources such as "Healthy Eating Learning Experiences Resource" which includes hands-on activities such as games and healthy cooking to encourage healthy eating health in children (NSW Department of Education, Office of Sport and Heart Foundation, 2018). Through these engaging activities, children were engaged effectively, as the Keiraview Children's Center case study clearly shows (NSW Department of Education, Office of Sport and the Heart Foundation, 2018). Using these resources, children at the center were able to tell the story, offer suggestions for healthy eating and correctly identify pictures of fruit and vegetables (NSW Department of Education, Office of Sport and the Heart Foundation, 2018). . Since children are able to learn better by completing hands-on tasks, this improves their attention and enjoyment, motivating them to make healthier choices (Routen, Sherar, 2017). Through this, we learned that we should have a wide range of practical activities to engage our target group, to ensure our strategies are memorable and effective. Managing Malnutrition in Singapore In Singapore, research has found that half of people aged 55 and above are frail, with the main reason being malnutrition. Malnourished older adults have higher mortality rates and prolonged hospital stays (Lim, 2018). The most common effect of malnutrition, cachexia, causes significant weight loss, muscle atrophy, and loss of appetite. Motor coordination is also impaired, making patients prone to falls and frailty (RichmondVale, 2016). Frail elderly people are twice as likely to die earlier than others (Tan, 2017). This leads to an increase in health costs and it is therefore necessary to combat malnutrition among the elderly (Yuen, 2018). To understand the reasons for malnutrition among older people and their preferences, we surveyed 140 older people living in Outram Park. We carried out our investigation there because that is where the most..