“If you ask me if Malaysia is now a healthy country, my answer is no,” said Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin worryingly.
According to him, Malaysia is among the countries that are ranked the highest in terms of obesity and heart disease.
Additionally, among the leading causes of Covid-19 death in the country is because most of the patients have comorbidities or chronic diseases.
But why are citizens in the nation unhealthy? Malaysians have gathered and offered their opinions as sometimes governments are not able to understand the life of an average joe.
Hilmi Salleh suggested that the origin of the problem is within the local culture. He pointed out that the food and drinks we consume are oily, sweet and contain too much fat.
Moreover, the timing Malaysians eat is concerning, whether it is in the early morning or midnight.
“Imagine having breakfast with Nasi Lemak, lunch ‘nasi campur’, tea time various ‘kuih’ and end it with a heavy dinner. Too many meals at various times with no exercise are bound to lead to health issues,” he said.
Khairy mentioned that in Malaysia, one in every two people are obese and overweight. Although he is the commander-in-chief, he admits that he is overweight, not the greatest example set by a health politician.
Statistically one in four don’t practice physical activity and one in 20 maintain healthy eating.
Pearl Long was firmed in her stance as she believes health is a holistic matter. It is not just about eating
neither is it about working all day. The public’s lifestyle has to change and needs to incorporate exercise with a balanced diet.
People generally don’t exercise much here, she states, citing that there is also poor awareness of good health being tied with lifestyle.
For effective measures, the health ministry needs to drive important information to the people, at least that is the consensus of Malaysians on social media.
Other than that, it lies on the responsibility of citizens to take heed of the advice or continue to deteriorate their health.
-THE MALAYSIA VOICE
