Speech : Health Week

     A very good morning to Mr. Phua Kiat Kin, principal of SMK Taman Pelangi Indah, teachers and my friends.  As you are aware, our school is organising a 'Health Week' to raise awareness among students about the need to be more health-conscious.  Obesity has been on the rise among young people.  

     There are many reasons why young people are obese.  Firstly, improper eating habits cause one to be obese.  Eating too  much fast food or junk food such as potato chips, fries and crackers in between meals is the reason why many youngsters are putting on weight nowadays.  All these food contain extra calories that are not needed by the body and thus are stored as fat.  

     In addition, most young people dread exercising.  They prefer to hang out in shopping malls and Internet cafes.  Without proper exercise, they do not work off the extra fat stored and thus become overweight.  Furthermore, in most homes, there are maids to do the housework.  Young people tend to be lazy.  They tend to be less active and lose extra weight slower or not at all.

     However, there are many ways for a person to lose weight.  Here are some suggestions.  Exercise is the key to losing weight.  You should exercise at least three times a week in order to burn extra fat that is stored in your body.  The easiest you can do is brisk walking.  Walking is simple, easy and cheap.

     You will also have to reduce the intake of food.  In addition, lowering the intake of food that is high in sugar such as sweets, cakes, chocolate and carbonated drinks will help you lose weight.

     Lastly, changing eating habits will help you control your weight.  Eating a lot of vegetables and fruit instead of junk food helps to reduce your weight.  Eating three meals a day at a fixed time will also help you to lose weight.  Alternatively, instead of having three meals a day, you can have five small meals a day do as not to feel hungry.

     Before I conclude, I hope my talk has been helpful.  I hope you have gained some insight into the problem of obesity among young people and learnt ways to control your weight.  Remember, prevention is better than cure.  Thank you.  

11. Dread – fear

22. Tend – have a tendency

33. Insight – understanding