Obesity in Asia

Obesity affects 58 million people across the nation and its prevalence is increasing. Approximately one-third of adults are estimated to be obese.

Malaysia has the highest obesity rate in Southeast Asia and ranks sixth in Asia-Pacific region. According to the Deputy Health Minister of Malaysian, the daily sugar intake among Malaysians was too high, at 51g, which was above the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation, at 50g. Of the 1,266 food samples analyzed in 2009, 92 samples or 7.3 per cent were found to have too much sugar. In 2011, two thousand four samples were analyzed of which 108 or 5.4 per cent were found to have an excessive amount of sugar.

Obesity results from a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. According to the National Institutes of Health, an increase in body weight of 20 percent or more above desirable weight is the point at which excess weight becomes an established health hazard. Lower levels of excess weight can also constitute a health risk, particularly in the presence of other disorders like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.