We often pride ourselves on our nation's foods. Everywhere you go, you see posters and advertisements about the diversity and flavour of our cuisines. Although we are undoubtedly known for our tasty foods, there is another statistic in which we are also known for, albeit not as widely marketed. Malaysia has the highest percentage of diabetics across South East Asia. The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023 found that 15.6% of Malaysians have diabetes, and these are just the reported figures. Many cases go undiagnosed, especially in rural areas which have limited access to healthcare.
So, this leads to the million-dollar question – Why?
Note that only Type 2 diabetes will be mentioned in this article, as Type 1 diabetes is hereditary and it cannot be prevented. Let's explore the plausible and probable reasons why we Malaysians are so sweet.
1. Carbohydrate-heavy
As a pharmacist, 4 out of 5 patients I interview have break their fasts with some form of carbohydrate in the morning. It is either bread, biscuits, roti, rice, or something along these lines. Don't get me wrong, carbohydrates are essential for our bodily functions as it gets broken down and converted to energy. However, the quantity and quality is crucial if someone has an increased risk of, or has, diabetes. Quality of carbs is usually measured using Glycaemic Index (GI). According to Diabetes Canada, it is a scale that ranks a carbohydrate-containing food or drink by how much it raises blood sugar levels after it is eaten or drank. The higher the GI, the faster it spikes the sugar levels in your bloodstream. It is generally categorised into 3 levels:
Low GI: < 55
Moderate GI: 56-69
High GI: > 70
Foods which are usually high in GI are usually without, or contain minimal, fibre. They are often polished and has a more desirable taste and texture. Examples are white rice, white bread, sugar. A simple tip is to look at the carbs you usually consume, and do some research on what are its low GI counterparts. White bread can be swapped to mixed grain breads, whereas white rice can be swapped to quinoa or brown rice.
2. Sugary foods and drinks
We have always been one for sweet foods and beverages. The recent mushrooming of bubble tea shops across the nation certainly did not help with our health. What used to be a luxury has now become a norm as streets are littered with new and upcoming brands of sweet beverages from all over the world. It is also an unfortunate habit that we frequent late night eateries such as mamaks, as we usually would opt for sugar-laden drinks such as teh tarik / soft drinks.
Here are some fun facts about sugary drinks that this website has which I found really interesting:
- If you drink 1 bottle of 600mL soft drink everyday for a year, you would have consumed 23 KILOS OF SUGAR!
- There are 6 packs of sugar in a 250mL bottle of energy drink
So the next time you order a drink for yourself, do consciously choose the less sugar option. Make sure to follow up your “Teh Tarik satu!” with “Kurang Manis, boss!”
3. Sedentary lifestyle
With the ever evolving landscapes of technology, we are bounded to our devices like never before. Younger people are opting to stay home instead of going out. This was partly contributed by the pandemic as many of us have been switched to working from home. What used to be a short walk to the office has now become a short climb from the bed to the desk.
Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. For people who are physically unable to go through rigorous exercise, just moving about and keeping oneself active is better than nothing. Opting to climb the stairs when possible, or even parking a little further (with safety in mind of course) just so you can get in some extra steps can go a long way in the long run.
So fellow Malaysians, preventing diabetes is not a mere sprint, but a marathon. What matters more is the consistent lifestyle change, rather than the 2 Pilates session per month. Together, let's make Malaysia a less sweet nation.
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Bryan Tan is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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