TL;DR
- Obesity rates in Malaysia have increased during MCO.
- This is due to Malaysians being homebound, and lack of physical movements.
- Before this news, the country is already the highest in obesity rates in 2019.
Hello, friends! It is pretty refreshing to be in the Recovery Movement Control Order. During the Movement Control Order (MCO), most of us are homebound, unless we are part of the essential group. That’s right, it is just #stayingathome and going to the grocery stores to get some food. At this stage, there are many memes floating around on Facebook. Do you remember some of them?
Obesity Rates In Malaysia Has Increased During MCO
You will find netizens posting memes about the different stages of quarantine, to gaining weight at the end of that period. Unfortunately, the latter appears to be true. According to The Star, Malaysia’s obesity rates have increased during the Movement Control Order. As most Malaysians were homebound, there was a lack of physical activities. Before this news, South-East Asia has already the highest cases of obesity.
Additionally, Malaysia has the highest prevalence of obesity within the region. The percentage was standing at 15.6% at the time of World Population Review 2019. This was followed by Brunei at 14.1%, Thailand at 10.0%, and Indonesia at 6.9%. To be considered overweight, the body mass index must be more than 25.kg/m2 and as for obese, body mass index must be more than 30kg/m2.
Due To Lack Of Physical Movements
There are many factors that contribute to obesity. Mainly, food and physical activities are the most prominent factors. As explained by Dr. Norliza Ahmad from Universiti Putra Malaysia, she has stated that “if the food intake is not accompanied by energy expenditure through physical activities, the excess energy is stores as fat in the body”. For the full report from The Star, you can click here to read.
Read 10 Tips You Can Follow To Stay Healthy & Maximise Time During Covid-19 Outbreak
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