21 October 2013

KUALA LUMPUR: An alarming 3.6 million adults are estimated to be affected by diabetes in Malaysia, according to Obesity Prevention Council president Jong Koi Chong.

Jong said this makes Malaysia the country with the highest number of diabetics in Asean and sixth in the western pacific region.

“That is not an achievement to be proud of. We must work together to educate the public on prevention and maintenance of the disease.”

During the 4th National Diabetes Conference here yesterday, Jong said, compared with 2006, where only 8.6 per cent of adults in Malaysia had diabetes, the most recent study in 2011 showed 15.2 per cent adults were diabetic.

Present at the conference was the Health Ministry’s medical development department director, Datuk Dr Azmi Shapie, and Malaysian Diabetes Association (MDA) president, Professor Datuk Dr Ikram Shah Ismail.

Dr Ikram Shah said Malaysia had surpassed the World Health Organisation’s estimation of 807,000 diabetics by 2025.

Dr Azmi advised Malaysians to prevent and manage diabetes by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and making better dietary choices.

He said blindness, kidney failure, gangrene and heart disease were complications that could be prevented by making better choices.

“Small changes in our lifestyle make a big difference. We should walk more, take the stairs instead of the elevator and avoid fatty foods, especially late at night.” Bernama

This article was first published in www.nst.com.my on 15 June 2013.