By Ayuni Nabila
GOMBAK, 14 November 2021: Malaysia is considered as an unhealthy country since a huge percentage of its citizens suffer from health issues such as heart disease and obesity, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.
“If you ask me, is Malaysia a healthy nation? The answer is No. Our country has among the highest rates of obesity and heart disease,” Khairy said on a Selamat Pagi Malaysia segment on RTM last Thursday (11 November).
He claimed that Malaysians are still at a low level of awareness when it comes to health issues.
He went on to say that a substantial proportion of patients had comorbidities or chronic disorders, which was one of the causes for the high number of COVID-19 fatalities in the nation.
Thus, to encourage Malaysians to lead a healthy lifestyle, Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS) has been established by the government.
ANMS responsibilities are to promote health literacy, reduce treatment and rehabilitation costs, and lessen the risk of disease.
He further said that in order to establish a healthy nation, Malaysians must modify their behaviour and raise their health awareness on their own, rather than relying entirely on the Health Ministry or the government.
According to Khairy, one out of every two Malaysians is obese, and one out of every four Malaysians does not keep fit.
“Besides that, only one out of every 20 Malaysians practise healthy eating according to the right nutritional guidelines. According to official statistics, half a million adults are depressed. I believe that this number is still lower than reality,” he continued.
Khairy further said that behavioural modification is key, and that self-awareness of one’s own health is among the ANMS’ most significant components.***
Source: The Star