Malaysia moves to tackle rising child obesity with new Nutrition Bill
KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) is drafting a Nutrition Bill following a proposal paper on it being approved by the Cabinet, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
However, he said the Bill will not be tabled in Parliament this year.
'We have presented a memorandum to the Cabinet, and it has been approved. Currently, we are in the process of drafting the Bill, and it will be tabled once completed, but not within this year,' he told reporters after officiating the closing of the National-level 'Lead Coach for Your Best Lifestyle' (JU C-HAT) Convention 2025 here today.
Last October, Dewan Rakyat Special Select Committee on Health chairman Suhaizan Kaiat said the Malaysian Nutrition Act would be drafted to regulate the nutritional intake of the people, especially children.
In addition, Lukanisman said MOH is committed to continuing efforts to curb obesity among children and adolescents through the organisation of the National-level JU C-HAT Convention 2025, which aims to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Combat the Double Burden of Malnutrition Among Malaysian Children 2023–2030.
He said that according to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) Report, the prevalence of overweightness and obesity among children continues to rise.
'For children under the age of 5, the rate increased from 5.6 percent in 2019 to six percent in 2022.
'For adolescents aged 13 to 17, the prevalence rose from 28.5 percent in 2017 to 30.5 percent in 2022, indicating that one in three children is facing issues of being overweight or obese,' he said.
Lukanisman added that aside from the JU C-HAT initiative, MOH is also employing a comprehensive approach through the establishment of the Taskforce Committee to Tackle Obesity in Malaysia, comprising various ministries, departments and agencies.
He said that since JU C-HAT was implemented in 2019, a total of 1,207 activities have been carried out by trained volunteer groups nationwide.
The JU C-HAT Convention, jointly organised by the CAKNA Sihat Malaysia Association and the Nutrition Division of the MOH, brought together more than 300 participants consisting of coaches, nutritionists, teachers, and parents from across the country in an effort to strengthen knowledge, share experiences, and build networks towards promoting healthy lifestyles among school children. — Bernama
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