The total proportion of overweight students in Singapore schools has dropped from 11.1 per cent in 1994 to 9.5 per cent last year.

But at the same time, the percentage of severely overweight or obese students has jumped from 2.8 per cent 14 years ago to 3.6 per cent last year.

These figures were revealed in Parliament by Minister of State for Health Heng Chee How during the debate on his ministry's spending plans.

Although obesity rates in Singapore may not be as worrying as those in many developed countries, Mr Heng still stressed the importance of acting early to 'contain the deterioration' into more serious illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.

So besides implementing school-based programmes like healthier tuckshop food and referring severely overweight children for medical management, MOH will be campaigning against obesity directly next year.

"MOH will also form an obesity prevention taskforce to explore strategies to address this issue among the young and adults," Mr Heng explained, adding that results can only be seen in the medium term.

No quick fixes to getting slim

At the same time, Mr Heng also warned Singaporeans against 'short cuts' and 'quick fixes' to keeping slim, saying only a controlled diet and regular exercise will do the trick.

Liposuction, a 'risky' surgical procedure to remove excess fat, is not recommended because it can result in 'life-threatening complications such as bleeding, infection and even death' - something that has happened in the US and Europe.

Mr Heng warned: "Unfortunately, my Ministry has also begun to receive unconfirmed feedback of liposuction being done in some outpatient clinics."

"Let me stress that liposuction should be done by properly trained doctors... For those who insist on undergoing liposuction, they should seek qualified and experienced surgeons to do this for them in accredited hospital facilities.

"They risk their lives otherwise."