Food availability and the rising obesity prevalence in Malaysia
- Author:
Geok-Lin Khor
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Obesity, nutrition transition, Food Balance Sheets, animal products, sugar and sweeteners
- From:International e-Journal of Science, Medicine and Education
2012;6(supp1):S61-S68
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
It is estimated that more than 1.1 billion adults
and 115 million children worldwide are overweight.
In Malaysia, the second and third National Health
and Morbidity Surveys in 1996 and 2006 respectively
reported a three-fold increase in obesity prevalence
among adults, surging from 4.4% to 14% over the
10-year period. Evidence of rising childhood obesity
has also emerged. The aim of this article is to gather
evidence from food availability data for an insight
into population shifts in dietary patterns that may
help explain the rising obesity in this country. The
nutrition transition was delineated in conjunction with
the epidemiologic transition in order to explain the
convergence of dietary practices, and the high prevalence
of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases
worldwide. The Food Balance Sheets for Malaysia from
1967 to 2007 were used to provide estimates and trends
for the availability of foods and calories. Evidence is
generated that indicate at least two major upward shifts
in the dietary patterns in Malaysia in the past 4 decades.
These shifts have led to the rising availability of calories from animal products, and from sugar and sweeteners. These major dietary shifts, together with increased sedentariness, constitute core public health challenges faced in addressing the country’s obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCD) conundrum.
- Full text:W020150928576230911915.pdf
