DATA released by the Health Ministry recently in regard to the wellbeing of Malay-sians is rather alarming. In a nutshell, we have grown to be less healthy in the last four years.
Non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes and heart conditions have spiked drastically despite the various health campaigns carried out by the government and non-governmental organisations to educate the public.
The other major factor that contributes to ill-health is obesity. Obesity among children and adults cannot be taken lightly as it is a precursor to the diseases mentioned earlier.
Unfortunately, Malaysians, by and large, have not been taking the problem of obesity seriously. Obesity is mainly the result of overindulging in food and not exercising.
These days, children are too engrossed with smart electronic gadgets and academic excellence. They have limited time for physical activity and this trend, if allowed to continue, will result in Malaysia becoming an obese nation in the next decade.
Just take a stroll in the park or a green lung in a residential area and you will see only a handful of people exercising. Many adults prefer to watch television dramas in the evenings rather than taking their children out for physical activities.
And, on weekends, they end up at the shopping malls where once again they take the opportunity to binge on food and take leisure walks in an air-conditioned environment.
Malaysians are too fond of food. While many proudly claim that they consume “healthy and fat-free” foods, it is clear that they are sadly lacking in their knowledge of calorie intake.
Excessive intake of calories will eventually lead to a build-up of fat in our body and that can lead to diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
As the nation is getting more literate and information on how to live a healthy life is readily available, we should be heading in the right direction but sadly this is not the case. What is the reason for this? Where have we failed?
Fighting lifestyle diseases and obesity takes concerted effort by all parties.
The Health Ministry can only do so much. It is the collective responsibility of families, educationists and consumer groups to tackle the issue of obesity.
The public must be educated so that they are not so easily influenced by food-related advertisements.
The school curriculum must include the subject of obesity and lifestyle diseases and inculcate good eating habits from primary level. Reversing an unhealthy lifestyle later in adult life can be near impossible. The statistics attest to that.
Parents must play a pivotal role in encouraging their children to take up sports and exercise as a family.
Last, but not least, consumer groups must be more proactive in putting pressure on food manufacturers to refrain from misleading the public into thinking that their products are wholesome and nutritious by themselves.
Food is essential for sustaining life, but sad to say it is “killing” us these days!
NARINDER PAL SINGH
Shah Alam, Selangor