Walk held to support consumers' rights to healthy food

By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
16 March 2008

SINGAPORE: Consumers have rights and that includes the right to healthy food.

So, in conjunction with World Consumer Rights Day – which is focusing on fast food this year – the local Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) held a walk for a few thousand participants early Sunday morning.

CASE said it is working with fast food companies to provide healthier options and it has received a response from McDonald's.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, the Guest-of-Honour at the event, recently highlighted in Parliament how obesity could quickly become a problem in Singapore.

Later at the event, Mr Khaw recalled his conversation with some children at the walk.

He said: "I was very happy when I spoke to the children just now. I asked, 'Do you eat vegetables?' They said, 'Yes!'. I hope it's true. I said, 'Do you go for fast food often?' They said, 'No!'. If they are being truthful, that is a good sign.

"There is nothing wrong with fast food, it's just (a problem of) how often you eat it. Occasionally, I go for fast food as well – maybe three times, four or five times a year. If it's three or four times a week, that will be very troublesome. Obesity seriously can be a big problem because it underlies a lot of other problems."


- CNA/so