MALAYSIA FACES DOUBLE BURDEN OF MALNUTRITION AND OBESITY, SELECT COMMITTEE URGES INTERVENTION

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is confronting a growing double burden of malnutrition, with 54.4 per cent of adults aged 18 and above overweight or obese, a trend that calls for structural reforms to the country’s food policies and environment.

Health Select Committee chairman Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai) said the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) found that 29.2 per cent of adults have hypertension, 33.3 per cent have high cholesterol, and 15.6 per cent have diabetes mellitus.

“Nutrition is not merely a matter of personal choice. It underpins national health, productivity, economic resilience and the future of our next generation,” he said when tabling the committee’s report on strengthening food policy and nutrition interventions, in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Suhaizan said consultations with health experts, the Ministry of Health and medical practitioners confirmed that Malaysia faces both overnutrition and undernutrition, an imbalance which requires urgent intervention.

He added that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are no longer isolated cases but a defining public health pattern. Some 35.9 per cent of adults have metabolic syndrome, while more than half a million are living with four concurrent NCDs: obesity, diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia.

Suhaizan noted that nearly 2.3 million adults are living with three concurrent NCDs, undermining productivity and quality of life, placing a prolonged strain on healthcare services.

The committee has proposed 10 strategic recommendations involving ministries, agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to strengthen national food policies and implement Malaysia’s nutrition agenda comprehensively.

Key recommendations include reinforcing the National Nutrition Policy 3.0, introducing a sugar-sweetened beverage tax and removing sugar subsidies with funds redirected to public health programmes, and expanding screening and management of diet-related malnutrition at hospitals and primary care facilities.

“Nutrition reform requires bold policy action and sustained commitment. Failure to tackle the malnutrition conundrum, including rising overweight and obesity, will burden the healthcare system and compromise the nation’s human potential,” he warned.

Chong Zhemin (PH-Kampar) added that Malaysia faces a serious health crisis, with obesity- and diet-related treatment costs estimated at RM70 billion annually, nearly double the Ministry of Health’s 2026 budget of RM46.5 billion.

He proposed a national diet revolution to encourage replacing a portion of white rice with brown rice or sweet potatoes to reduce sharp blood sugar spikes, coupled with a nationwide strength-training initiative to build muscle mass among Malaysians.

“Strength training increases muscle, which raises the basal metabolic rate. This means the body burns more calories continuously, even at rest. More muscle also makes fat burning more efficient,” he explained.

Dr Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar) added that overnutrition and dietary imbalance not only contribute to cholesterol and heart problems but also stunt growth in children. 

“Over the past 25 years, the stunting rate among children in Malaysia has risen from 20 per cent to 24 per cent, while countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia and the Philippines have seen declines,” she said.

She stressed that tackling the issue requires a comprehensive government and societal approach, including inter-ministerial collaboration to implement more effective nutrition policies and programmes.

-- BERNAMA