PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry (MoH) has reported an increase in the prevalence of stunted development and obesity among children and adults in the country.
In a written reply to the Dewan Rakyat, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the prevalence of stunted development among children under five-years-old has risen from 17.7% in 2015 to 21.2% in 2022.
He noted the prevalence of obesity among children under five-years-old has also increased from 4% in 2015 to 5.6% in 2019 and 6% in 2022.
He added that the prevalence of overweight among students aged 10 to 17 years increased from 14.6% in 2012 to 15.6% in 2017.
“Meanwhile, the prevalence of obesity also rose from 12.3% in 2012 to 14.8% in 2017. This data shows that one in three school students are either overweight or obese.
“The prevalence of obesity among adults increased from 19.7% in 2019 to 21.8% in 2023,“ he said.
He said this in response to a question from Datuk Dr Alias Razak (PN-Kuala Nerus) regarding statistics of Malaysians experiencing stunted development and obesity from 2013 to 2023 among children and adults.
Datuk Dr Alias also inquired about the ministry’s willingness to review the effectiveness of programs to address the issues of stunting and obesity.
Elaborating further, Dzulkefly stated that stunted development and obesity are influenced by various factors and are not limited to nutrition issues alone.
He mentioned that MoH’s continuous efforts include reviewing the implementation of strategies and programs in line with the ministry’s policies and directions, such as the Health White Paper, National Nutrition Policy 2.0, ‘Reviewed Nutrition Policy Options to Combat Obesity in Malaysia,‘ and ‘National Strategic Plan for Non-Communicable Diseases 2016-2025.’
Additionally, he said that among the programs and activities reviewed to address stunting and obesity are strengthening the 1,000 days of life initiative targeting pregnant women to children up to two years old, covering health and nutrition care.
“The criteria for recipients in the Children Malnutrition Recovery Program or Food Basket Program has expanded starting June 2022.
“(and) empowering the Best Lifestyle Coach (C-HAT) among members of the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) to help address obesity issues in schools,“ he added.
