LETTERS – The Health Ministry has sounded the alarm that too many Malaysians are too fat.
Thirty per cent are overweight and twenty per cent are obese. We are the most obese country in Asia. There are many reasons for obesity but I would like to focus on one problem is sweet drinks.
There is the ubiquitous teh tarik and its other sweet companions, including iced tea, coffee, iced lemon, iced lemon tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, fruits juices, milk shakes, frappes and blended drinks.
My drink has zero calories whereas the man at the next table sips a teh tarik that contains 200 calories. His son has a glass of soft drink and his wife has a fruit juice, both of which contain 130 calories each.
However, will not because of the addictive nature of sugar. More than that, consuming beverages is ingrained in our culture.
This will increase the price of handmade beverages. Many will object as it will also increase the prices of chocolates, sweets, confectionary, deserts, pastries, jams, sweet snacks and ice cream.
But health professionals will heave a sigh of relief because these products are filled with calories and contribute to obesity.
We know that obesity is the cause of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer.
Our health system may not be able to cope and the government may have trouble funding a health system that could be overwhelmed in the coming years. Prevention is better than cure.
Source: Tunku Halim (NST)
