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THE federal Health Ministry has launched a ‘war’ against excessive sugar consumption to tackle surging diabetes woes throughout the country.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said the ministry wants to get people to cut down on the consumption of food and drinks that are high in sugar.
"Consumption of excessive sugary stuff is one of the leading causes of diabetes now.
"One in five adults in our country aged 18 and above are afflicted with diabetes-related ailments already.
"Their poor diet and lack of exercise are factors that must be tackled.
"The war against excessive sugar consumption will be pursued not only in cities and towns but in rural communities too," he said when attending an anti-diabetes event in Miri.
On Nov 20, it was reported that the amount of money the Federal Government is spending to finance the treatment of diabetes-related ailments in government clinics and hospitals nationwide had hit the RM 4 billion mark annually.
The percentage of adults considered as suffering from obesity has surged beyond the 50 per cent adult population mark.
These worrying figures were revealed recently by the Health Ministry.
On July 23, it was reported that statistics compiled by the MoH show that an average of three in every 10 kids of school-going age and even pre-teens are classified as obese in Malaysia. - November 26, 2024
