Every step counts for a healthier life
KUALA LUMPUR: Many middle-aged Malaysians are suffering from chronic illnesses, and these can prevent them from functioning productively and discharging their responsibilities to their family as planned.
The Health Ministry is concerned over the burden of lifestyle diseases among Malaysians such as diabetes and hypertension, which are the result of unhealthy lifestyle practices.
It is especially so during the Covid-19 pandemic, which made keeping active a challenge. One must not ignore the negative aspects of a sedentary lifestyle.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey (2019) reported that half of the population is overweight or obese.
Obesity is a risk factor that leads to the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases. Meanwhile, physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality and estimated to cause six per cent of deaths worldwide (World Health Organisation, 2013).
In conjunction with World Physical Activity Day, celebrated globally on April 6, the ministry calls on all Malaysians to be more physically active.
Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Shafiq Abdullah said it had invested a great deal in providing the best health care services to empower and facilitate people in achieving better health status.
However, he said, being healthy and active was an individual’s choice and that people had to change their behaviour to enjoy better health and quality of life.
“We cannot disregard that every culture in Malaysia celebrates food, and what more to say when food becomes a social instrument. However, we must ensure that we have the knowledge and right attitude to manage our food consumption and energy expenditure to mitigate potential health threats.
“We need to understand that health is important to be socially functional. Healthy individuals build a happy family and society. We need to be healthy to function as happy parents, children, teachers, friends, leaders or other societal roles. We all play an important role in the growth of a society,” he said.
He said the rise of gadgets was a threat to our health, especially physically.
“Technology has made our daily work easier as it limits our need to move about physically. It has made us more inclined to adopt sedentary behaviour. We’ve been sitting and lying down more than before. This behaviour has affected our health badly. We’ve battled enough mental health challenges through this pandemic. We must not succumb to lifestyle diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and hypertension, during the pandemic.”
Shafiq said many people had embarked on being active by using health gadgets and applications.
He called for all Malaysians to adopt such technologies as part of efforts towards an active lifestyle.
“As you (Malaysians) pioneered this (active lifestyle), the Health Ministry urges you to share it with your friends and family. Let us encourage our friends and family to be active together. Accomplish the Virtual Run as a family.
“Have a virtual aerobics party at home. Do your workout with your partner through video calls. You can even clean the house, wash the car and do gardening together as a family while observing the new norms.
“We have developed a National Strategic Plan for Active Living (2017-2025), a holistic plan aiming for 10 per cent reduction in physical inactivity by 2025. As such, we believe this celebration will bring us closer to our objective and alleviate ourselves from the burden of disease.”
In conjunction with World Physical Activity Day, themed Every Step Counts, the ministry has lined up activities, including a Virtual Run, Steps Challenge and TikTok Challenge, Facebook Live and others, to make the working environment conducive for active living in Putrajaya.
We need to understand that health is important to be socially functional. Healthy individuals build a happy family and society. We need to be healthy to function as happy parents, children, teachers, friends, leaders or other societal roles. We all play an important role in the growth of a society.
DATUK MOHD SHAFIQ ABDULLAH Health Ministry secretary-general
For more information, visit www.myhealth.gov.my.