KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — The National Health Screening Initiative (NHSI) 2023 found that 31.3 per cent, or 283,100 individuals screened, were found to be overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of over 25 kg/m2.
Another 22.2 per cent (199,400 individuals) were obese with a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2.
In total, more than half, or 53.5 per cent, of Malaysians screened under the NHSI were either overweight or obese.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 previously reported 50.1 per cent prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults (30.4 per cent overweight and 19.7 per cent obese).
The NHSI 2023 figures were released by then-Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa in a written Dewan Rakyat reply last November 29.
She also disclosed figures that since the start of the NHSI in July 2022, as many as 62,346 (10.6 per cent) of individuals who have yet to be diagnosed with diabetes were found to have high blood sugar levels, with a glucose reading of more than 7.8 mmol/L.
Dr Zaliha also revealed the numbers for the Healthy Communities, Building the Nation (Kospen) screening initiative, which showed 17.1 per cent with high glucose levels, or 4,330 individuals, this year.
The health minister was responding to a question put forth by Kuala Nerus MP Dr Alias Razak who asked the minister the extent of the effectiveness of preventive measures taken by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to reduce the number of diabetic patients.
The PAS lawmaker also requested that the minister furnish him with the latest diabetic statistics according to state.
According to Dr Zaliha, all individuals who have been detected with high-risk factors such as high blood glucose levels, overweight, and obesity have been referred to a public health clinic or hospital for intervention.
“Referral for the purpose of intervention also has been carried out like the Kospen intervention programme that is carried out by existing Kopsen volunteers such as weight management intervention programmes, healthy eating practices intervention programmes and physical activity intervention programmes.
“Other than that, referral to [the] Wellness Hub also can be given, where the Wellness Hub represents an infrastructure that provides a one stop community centre to the local community as a strategy in encouraging the community to adopt a healthy lifestyle to achieve well-being.”
Referring to the NHMS 2019, Dr Zaliha listed eight states with a higher adult diabetes rate than the national prevalence of 18.3 per cent.
Negeri Sembilan was top with 33.2 per cent diabetes prevalence, followed by Perlis (32.6 per cent), Pahang (25.7 per cent), Kedah (24.9 per cent), Putrajaya (22.9 per cent), Terengganu (20.5 per cent), Johor (19.7 per cent), and Kelantan (19.5 per cent).
