A recent study published in The Lancet (renowned British medical journal), showed that Malaysia is the most obese country in Asia.
The 2015 National Health and Morbidity survey supported this fact by revealing that nearly half of Malaysian population aged 18 and above (47.7 percent) were overweight or obese.
The President of the Malaysian Doctor’s Club Dr Muhammad Hakim Nordin said society today was still reluctant when it came to investing in their health.
Obesity used to be just a term to describe excessive body weight. Today, obesity is also known as disease. “Many are unaware that obesity is a catalyst for chronic diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Obesity rapidly increases the risk of chronic disease,” he said.
The survey also showed a rapid rise in chronic disease among Malaysians.
We can see that 30.3 percent of Malaysians aged 18 and above suffer from high blood pressure, 47.7 percent have high cholesterol levels and 17.5 percent have diabetes,” he said.