SINGAPORE – Nearly all residents consume double the global limit for sodium, and more than half eat too many calories, despite a whopping 87% of the population hitting recommended physical activity targets. 

Nevertheless, staying active remains a vital pillar of health, but health experts warn that physical fitness cannot completely offset a bad diet. 

Newly released findings from the 2025 National Nutrition Survey show that more than half of Singapore’s population consumes too many calories relative to their energy needs, pushing average daily intake to 2,460 kcal, up from 2,410 kcal in 2022 and 2,360 kcal in 2019.

Total dietary fat intake has also risen over the years. Worse still, more than nine in 10 residents (95%) consume too much sodium, averaging roughly 4,000mg a day, double the recommended daily threshold of 2,000mg or about one teaspoon of salt.

With more people eating out more frequently, avoiding hidden calories and sodium can be an uphill battle, especially as commonly consumed dishes like fried carrot cake with dark soy sauce, mee siam and nasi biryani have become saltier and higher in calories over time. At the same time, people are also eating more processed foods.

Fit but unhealthy

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