Bid to cook that fat away
We need to change our diet and lifestyles, says Hilmi
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia wants to shed its dubious image as “fattest country in SouthEast Asia”, says Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.
He said that close to 50% of Malaysian adults were overweight.
Obese Malaysians made up 17.7% of the population, which was higher than the global average of 14%, he said.
“We have an obligation to change that,” he said after launching the Kinohimitsu Superfood Cookbook at the National Heart Institute (IJN) here yesterday.
Dr Hilmi also said that non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as stroke and cancer accounted for 74% of deaths in public hospitals, citing the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2014.
Smoking, an inactive lifestyle and unhealthy dietary habits were among the causes of high blood pressure, high blood glucose, high cholesterol and obesity, which led to NCD, he said.
The cookbook, a joint effort by IJN dietitians and Kino Biotech, is a compilation of 18 recipes featuring Kinohimitsu Superfood, a plant-based beverage powder as an ingredient.
Kino Biotech Co Ltd executive chairman Ting Yen Hock said the cookbook debunked the perception that healthy food was bland and unappetising.
Malaysians’ favourite food such as nasi lemak, chapati and idli were among the recipes featured.
Priced at RM10 each, a total of 10,000 copies of the cookbook have been published. The proceeds, estimated at RM100,000, would go to IJN Foundation.
Foundation chairman Toh Puan Dr Aishah Ong said financial assistance from the public and corporations made it possible for the foundation to foot the medical bills of underprivileged patients and to fund research at IJN.
“Last year, we allocated RM3.5mil to help 124 patients – 71 adults and 53 children – receive treatment and undergo surgery at IJN,” she said.
Dr Ong said the cookbook would benefit Malaysians by encouraging them to adopt a healthier lifestyle, beginning with a healthy eating habit.
IJN dietetics and food services senior manager Mary Easaw recommended the “plate method” of filling half of a dining plate with vegetables and fruits, a quarter with protein and the remainder with carbohydrates.
Her “Sauteed Prawns with Coconut and Turmeric”, a Malayalee dish, is included in the cookbook.
“We can modify the recipes of tasty delights for a balanced diet. Take this dish for example, reduce the amount of grated coconut used,” she said.