Southeast Asia countries are Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei and Philippines. Out of the 10 countries, a 2013 study by UK medical journal Lancet has recorded that nearly 45% of Malaysian men and almost half of women are obese.
With so many eating joints opening till midnight and 24 hours, it is taking a toll in people’s health. Malaysians just love their food and that is 1 of the reasons I hear from people who do not wish to migrate to other countries.
Why is Malaysia is Southeast Asia’s Most Obese Country?
A key factor is the national love for Malaysia’s delicious but rich fare are spicy curries made with fattening coconut milk, carb-heavy rice dishes, and sugary drinks like teh tarik, a frothy tea with sweetened condensed milk. We too have many American restaurants, Coffee Cafe’s and Fast Food restaurants. We have 4 famous doughnut outlets – Dunkin Donuts, J.Co Donuts & Coffee, Big Apple Donuts & Coffee and Krispy Kreme.
In Malaysia, childhood obesity rates are also climbing, from less than 10% a decade ago to nearly 14% in 2008, according to the most recent figures, saddling health systems with a new generation of diabetes, hypertension and other obesity-related illnesses.
Already, some 2.6 million adults have diabetes, a figure authorities expect to spike to 4.5 million in 2020. Malaysia has a population of around 29 million.
Do I believe the above facts? Yes, I do because I personally gained 4 kilograms in 1 1/2 months holiday trip back to Malaysia.
Example menu I consumed during my stay in Malaysia:
Breakfast (8am) – 2 roti canai with Condensed milk coffee
Morning Tea (10am) – 1 Kuih Lapis, 1 pulut inti and 1 Kuih Lapis
Lunch (1pm) – Spicy curry with coconut milk, White rice and vegetables with Barli Sugar
Evening Tea (4pm) – Famous SS 15 Rojak and Cendol
Dinner (7pm) – 1 Kaya Pau, 1 Kacang Pau and Mee Hoon
Supper (10pm) – 2 sets Toasted Bread with margerine and kaya with Old Town white coffee
Wow…I ate too much…
Resources:
- http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-is-southeast-asias-fattest country
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia
