Obesity a huge problem for Malaysians

◌ Sedentary lifestyle, lack of sleep and overeating main causes of obesity: Experts

PETALING JAYA: A “virus”, perhaps more virulent than Covid-19, is “infecting” and killing Malaysians. Yet this “virus”, called obesity, raises little alarm.

Obesity is a major cause of many incommunicable diseases and death, and Malaysia ranks high on the obesity chart.

A recent study by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) showed that 12.7% of Malaysian children aged five to 19 are obese, the second highest in Southeast Asia after Brunei.

More alarming is the finding that 7.1% of overweight children are aged five and below.

Tipping the obesity scales even more are adults. According to the World Population Review 2019, 15.6% of Malaysian adults are obese, the highest in Southeast Asia, beating Brunei (14.1%), Thailand (10%) and Indonesia (6.9%).

Health experts have attributed the obesity “pandemic” to a lack of physical exercise and overeating.

Former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said children are spending too much time on the internet and watching TV.

“A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main causes of obesity. Childhood obesity leads to major health problems in adulthood,” he added.

Lee also pointed out that while malnutrition leads to stunted growth and obesity, the main problem in Malaysia is overeating, improper diet and eating at the wrong time of the day.

The cost to the nation is significant. As the Unicef study shows, the country spent US$1.7 billion (RM6.97 billion) to address health problems related to obesity in 2017. That was 0.54% of gross domestic product, and that is not even accounting for indirect costs such as loss of productivity due to absenteeism or medical leave.

The death toll is even more alarming. A total of 73% of deaths in Malaysia’s public hospitals were caused by obesity-related issues.

According to Lee, obesity leads to noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease and osteoarthritis.

“The risk of developing cancer also rises with obesity. An obese person is two to four times more likely to get cancer of the uterus, oesophagus, liver and kidney,” he said.

Dr Mahenderan Appukutty, a nutritionist who lectures at Universiti Teknologi Mara, said children usually overeat because their parents lack sufficient knowledge about nutrition.

“Parents must learn what they should and should not feed their children. For instance, they should avoid refined carbohydrates,” he told theSun.

However, he conceded that low-income families may not be able to afford the variety of food that children need.

Mahenderan also put to rest claims that rice is a major cause of obesity.

“Rice is a staple of Asian meals, especially for the older generations, but they are not obese,” he pointed out.

He said the problem is that people tend to eat more than they need but do not exercise enough to burn off the excess intake.

Another problem is eating late. A survey by the Institute of Public Health and the Health Ministry revealed that 70% of Malaysian youths eat heavy meals for supper one to six times a week.

“Eating after 9pm contributes to obesity.” Mahenderan said the lack of sleep is another contributory factor.

“Children stay up until late in the night to play games on the computer or surf the internet when they should be getting at least eight hours of sleep a night. The lack of sleep also leads to obesity.”

He added that eating proper food is just half the requirement.

“It is also important not to skip meals, especially breakfast. People who skip one meal tend to eat more at the next meal.”