Health

Hi all!

I was sick with fever recently. This, together with muscle aches, served as a good reminder to our own frailty. Life is fragile and we must treasure our health when we still have it!

Health is something that many of us take for granted everyday. This morning, you will most likely  have woken up in the pink of health, and did you stop to be thankful that there are little to no impairments to your physical faculties? Indeed, as you hustle and bustle through another busy working day, there will be many things to worry about, but keeping healthy is unlikely to be a major concern for most.

Strangely, probably all of us know how to keep a healthy lifestyle generally, and rank it as something important to us, yet few put in much conscious effort to maintain it. This is evident by:

1. Obesity rate in schoolchildren rising from 10% in 2000 to 11% in 2013 and 12% in 2014.
2. Singapore has the 2nd highest diabetes prevalence among developed countries, rising from 4.7% in 1984 to 10.53% in 2015. This is only second to the USA

So, how does this relate to this blog? First, both health and financial knowledge are topics that the younger generation tend to give little thought to. Most do not take the time and energy to read up and gain knowledge on these matters. Despite acknowledging that keeping healthy is important, and working and striving hard to earn extra, many would consume excessive calories, and fritter cash away. 

Secondly, financial health is a form of health. Many (I hope!) would agree that accumulating money is not an end-goal in itself. A goal that many may like to aim for would be good health. defined by the World Health Organization as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity", and I believe that financial stability serves as a support for this. However, one can easily see that being materially rich will not bring health by itself if one's health is poor.

Thirdly, being unhealthy is expensive! It is commonly said here that one can die in Singapore, but one cannot fall ill! This saying pays tribute to the high cost of healthcare in Singapore. Now, imagine the costs if one has a chronic problem, requiring regular medication and visits to the doctor. This may be little thought of and not planned for when saving for retirement. Moreover, poorly managed chronic conditions can lead to events such as a heart attack or stroke, which costs us further in health, and financially as well! A short stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and subsequent recovery in the general ward can easily cost up to a few thousand dollars.after subsidy.

So while we work on increasing our financial literacy, we should always keep in mind the purpose of it and not neglect other aspects of our lives that are at least as important.