PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have been warned to lower meat consumption as it could result in developing non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
University College Sedaya International Faculty of Applied Sciences, Nutrition and Wellness Programme lecturer Dr Shashikala Sivapathy, who said this, was commenting on data from the Statistics Department.
According to the data, per capita consumption of chicken in 2021 was 46.1kg a year, followed by chicken and duck eggs at 20.8kg a year or 347 pieces.
Shashikala said in general, Malaysians have unhealthy diets and their sedentary lifestyles would soon turn them into NCD sufferers.
“Malaysians often consume high-energy foods. Such foods contain higher amounts of sugar and fat. High-energy foods (equal) higher calories, which need to be burned to maintain good health.
“The number of calories Malaysians consume should be based on how active their lifestyles are,” she said.
“The typical Malaysian diet consists of a higher amount of calories due to our local dishes that include ingredients (with a high fat content) such as coconut milk, ghee and animal fat.
“However, Malaysians generally do not live active lifestyles. This results in excess calories turning into accumulated fat, which leads to obesity.
“The Education Ministry prepared a Healthy School Canteen Management Guide 2011 (revised 2016) regarding what can and cannot be sold in the canteen.
“If some schools sell food items prohibited by the guide, this could be due to a lack of enforcement,” she told theSun.
Shashikala recommends more cereals, plant-based foods, fruits and vegetables be sold at school canteens, instead of processed foods, such as nuggets and burgers because they contain excessive amounts of sodium and additives, which make them tasty but harmful to health.
“Children, for instance, usually dislike vegetables. However, a little creativity in how it is cooked and presented would make it more appealing for them to eat.
“The Malaysian Food Pyramid 2020 guides consumers on how much protein, carbohydrates and fat they should consume daily. By following the guideline and maintaining an active lifestyle, consumers could lower NCD risks.”
Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity president and Universiti Putra Malaysia Department of Nutrition lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Geeta Appannah said fast food is one of the contributing factors to the increasing body mass index (BMI) numbers among Malaysians.
“When fast food was first introduced in 1963, it could have been the sole contributor to the increase in BMI. But now, with the introduction of trending foods and drinks such as bubble teas and fancy coffees, more factors have a hand in increasing the BMI.”
Geeta said fast food is equivalent to processed food, because it contains additives and chemicals, such as nitrates, to delay its expiration.
“Fast food is also unhealthy because the flour mixture and the amount of oil used to prepare it is excessive. As for processed foods, it contains high levels of sodium and nitrates, which can cause health complications such as an increased risk of cancer.”
Malaysian Society of Nephrology president Dr Lily Mushahar said CKD patients must reduce their daily protein intake. They should also reduce the consumption of red meat as much as possible to reduce the stress on their kidneys.
“Animal protein contains high biological value proteins that can burden the kidneys if taken (in excess), which contributes to CKD.
“It is advisable to consume red meat the size of a matchbox, as red meat causes elevated uremic toxins in the blood and can increase (the risk of) heart disease.”
