A one-year pilot in five Jurong West schools will teach pupils, families and canteen operators how food, exercise and other habits affect blood sugar, with ambitions to expand the programme islandwide.
Children in five schools in Jurong West will soon begin learning how food, exercise and other daily habits influence blood sugar, as Singapore steps up efforts to prevent diabetes before it takes hold. The one-year Sugar Smart Schools pilot, run by the non-profit Diabetes Singapore, will reach pre-school, primary and secondary pupils, while also involving parents, teachers and canteen operators so that healthier habits are reinforced beyond the classroom.
The initiative was launched at Diabetes Singapore’s 55th anniversary gala dinner on 25 September, where patron President Tharman Shanmugaratnam argued that preventing diabetes early is far more effective than trying to manage it only after serious complications develop. In remarks reported by the Istana, he said the country needs to do more upstream to change children’s habits while they are young, and cited research suggesting that limiting sugar exposure in the first 1,000 days of life can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes later on.
His warning comes as diabetes remains a significant public health concern in Singapore. Figures from the Ministry of Health’s National Population Health Survey 2024 show that 1.8 per cent of residents aged 30 to 39 had diabetes in 2023 and 2024, with prevalence rising sharply with age and affecting about one in four people aged 70 to 74. Tharman said the social, medical and economic case for prevention is compelling, because late-stage diabetes can bring severe complications, including heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputations.
Priscilla Gan, executive director of Diabetes Singapore, said many young people still think of diabetes as a disease that affects only older adults, even though more adolescents and young adults are being diagnosed with diabetes and pre-diabetes. The programme will try to correct that perception by showing children how fibre slows the rise in blood sugar after a meal, why vegetables and protein can be eaten before carbohydrates to blunt a glucose spike, and how muscle-building activity helps the body use glucose more effectively.
For pre-schoolers aged four and above, the lessons will be delivered through games and storytelling. Older pupils will attend talks and interactive booths with quizzes and activities, while the group hopes to work with school canteen operators to trim the availability of fried foods and sugary drinks. The programme will also explain Type 1 diabetes in age-appropriate terms, so children better understand why a classmate may need insulin injections, wear a glucose sensor or pump, or appear shaky when blood sugar falls.
Gan said the long-term aim is to scale the pilot beyond Jurong West and eventually extend it islandwide, with support from the Ministry of Education. West Coast-Jurong West GRC MP Hamid Razak said the effort could help children carry healthier habits home and share them with their families, building a more health-conscious community in the process.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
