Thursday, March 10, 2016

Urgency to beat obesity in Malaysia as waistlines expand

Malaysia continues its efforts to battle the bulge, after its last national health and morbidity survey revealed almost half of its adult population were either obese or overweight.

KUALA LUMPUR: At a rest stop along a Malaysian highway, the food court is covered in posters and guides on the calorie counts of different dishes.

It is one of 52 rest stops across the country that take part in the government's calorie awareness campaign, launched in February to educate Malaysians about the number of calories they are chowing down on every time they stop for a bite.

The campaign may be focused on rest stops but the government hopes it will spark a calorie consciousness among Malaysians, no matter where they eat.

"About 50 per cent of Malaysian citizens are at least overweight or obese,” said Malaysian Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam. “That's a figure that is too high."

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it has seen a rapid spread of obesity across Asia; and Malaysia has not escaped the bulge.

No comments:

Post a Comment