The role of public health dietary messages and guidelines in tackling overweight and obesity issues
https://doi.org/10.31246/mjn-2019-0084
- Author:
Yi Yi Lee
1
,
2
;
David Tan
3
;
José Siri
3
;
Barry Newell
4
;
Yi Gong
5
;
Katrina Proust
4
;
Terry Marsden
6
Author Information
1. United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia &
2. Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3. United Nations University International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4. Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
5. Sustainable Places Research Institute and School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
6. Sustainable Places Research Institute and School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Public health dietary messaging;
obesity;
Malaysia;
place-based approach;
cross-sectoral approaches
- From:
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition
2020;26(No.1):31-50
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Overweight and obesity in Malaysia pose serious threats to health. Prevalence has escalated to alarming levels in recent decades despite a multitude of public health dietary messages geared towards obesity prevention and health promotion. Gaps between health messages, messengers, and the public must be identified and closed to effectively combat obesity and overweight. This review article aims to examine public health dietary messages, guidelines, and programmes for the prevention of obesity in Malaysia, and explore potential reasons for the continued rise in its prevalence. Public health dietary communication in Malaysia has progressed and improved substantially over the years. However, most messages have been designed for the general audience, with little consideration of differences in physical, social, cultural, and environmental backgrounds, and varying levels of comprehension. We offer several recommendations to increase the effectiveness of public health dietary messages in fighting the obesity epidemic, based on a cross-sectoral, place-based approach that recognise the complexity of the underlying causes of obesity.
- Full text:4.2020my0480.pdf
