The overconsumption of convenience food and ready-to-eat meals is an acknowledged problem for many countries that endangers the population’s health and lifespan. The consumers’ eating habits and food choices largely depend on such factors as their income, traditional food culture, occupation, age, personal preferences, and options presented in the market. In Singapore, the current situation with convenience food consumption is rather concerning. Many Singaporeans opt for convenience rather than health when it comes to food. A shift from traditional food to ready-to-eat meals is due to the country’s hectic lifestyle (Singaporeans big appetite, 2019). Snacking and eating out increases the daily calorie intake, which is especially dangerous for young children. The significance of the issue lies in the associated health hazards and an increased disease rate. As reported by Lee (2018), obesity in Singaporean children often progresses later in life, making them more exposed to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This paper aims to discuss the adverse impact of convenience food on Singaporean busy working adults and young children in the long-term run, assess the current, and suggest possible new solutions to the problem.
Currently, there are many options in the Singaporean market, that influence the customers’ choice and make them opt for ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook meals. As a rule, consumers choose food products based on their cost and time required for cooking (Jackson & Viehoff, 2016). For Singaporeans, delicious, flavoursome food is especially important due to their culinary traditions. Over “23,000 food retail outlets, 750 small local processed food industry players and more than 100 food importers” are presented in the country’s market (Singaporeans big appetite, 2019, Challenges section, para. 1). Accessibility of convenience food is an important factor that influences people’s choices. Some Singaporeans are trying to eat healthier since they become more conscious about the food they consume, which means that the demand for natural products is expected to grow in the coming years. However, the ready meal market will still be increasing as working families prefer convenience food products, trying to save costs and time spent on cooking (Singaporeans big appetite, 2019). The current situation with pre-cooked food consumption in Singapore implies a health risk for the population and calls for immediate action.
The major problem discussed in this paper is the association of convenience food and health problems in children and adults in Singapore. Dominique et al. (2015) report that prehypertension is common among Singaporean young adults and is often a result of obesity. Overweight is considered an issue of high-income countries; however, apart from the individual’s income, marketing attitudes are deemed crucial for food preferences. According to the study by De Jong et al. (2017), families with children often trust the “industry sources of nutrition information” and buy food from convenience stores (Convenience outlets usage section, para. 3). In seeking a solution to the problem, it is necessary to consider the existing approaches. As Tsai (2016) states, several countries restrict the child- and youth-targeted advertising to decrease unhealthy diets on the national level. Among them are Canada, Chile, France, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Taiwan, and the UK (Tsai, 2016). Such an approach positively impacts overall health as it promotes a healthier consumer behaviour. Besides, limiting the marketing to children, such as gifts or free coupons, could also help reduce the population’s interest in convenience food. The detailed suggested solutions are provided further in the paper.
References
De Jong, B., Worsley, A., Wang, W. C., Sarmugam, R., Pham, Q., Februhartanty, J., & Ridley, S. (2017). Personal values, marketing attitudes and nutrition trust are associated with patronage of convenience food outlets in the Asia-Pacific region: A cross-sectional study. Journal of health, population and nutrition, 36(6), 1–8. Web.
Dominique, Y. B., Seow, B. H., & Tazeen H. J. (2015). The association of prehypertension with meals eaten away from home in young adults in Singapore. American Journal of Hypertension, 28(10), 1197–1200.
Jackson, P., & Viehoff, V. (2016) Reframing convenience food. Appetite, 98, 1–11.
Lee, W. Y. (2018). Adults are getting fitter, but children are increasingly overweight: MOH figures. The Straits Times.
Singaporeans big appetite for ready meals products. (2019). Craft Driven Research.
Tsai, M. (2016). Eight countries taking action against harmful food marketing. Food Tank.