Malaysians love good food, but equally important is the knowledge on how to eat healthily. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
The latest National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) in 2019 showed that Malaysians continue to be plagued with a high level of risk factors connected to diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
It is alarming that one in two adults in Malaysia is overweight or obese, one in every five adults has been diagnosed with high blood sugar, while three in ten people have high blood pressure, and a concerning two in every five people are living with high cholesterol.
This distressing data implies that an overwhelming two out of three Malaysians are currently grappling with at least one of these four conditions.
It is clear that unhealthy diets and lifestyles are the main cause behind this escalating health crisis, and therefore, healthy eating is a key to promoting health and preventing NCDs.
The Malaysian Dietary Guidelines (MDG) – the latest version of which was released in 2020 – provides recommendations for our daily food intake based on the recommended number of servings from each of the five groups outlined in the Malaysian Food Pyramid 2020.
At the base of this food pyramid is the fruit and vegetable food group, with the other food groups positioned above this level including rice, other cereals, wholegrain cereal-based products and tubers; and fish, poultry, eggs, meat and legumes, as well as milk and milk products.
Following the recommended servings from these food groups ensures that our bodies receive the sufficient amount of necessary nutrients for optimal health.
Malaysians are also encouraged to follow the other visual guide in the Guidelines to assist in planning daily meals, namely, the Malaysian Healthy Plate, based on the concept of quarter-quarter-half.
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However, based on the 2019 NHMS, it appears that not many Malaysians are aware of the recommended servings or are meeting the nutritional guidelines.
For example, the survey found that a staggering 95% of Malaysian adults are not eating the recommended daily five servings of fruits and vegetables.
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There is currently, however, limited information available on how Malaysians are complying with the new MDG since its release in 2020, as such data is infrequently collected in national nutrition surveys.
The Malaysian Healthy Diet Online Survey (MHDOS) is a nationwide online survey initiated by the Nutrition Society of Malaysia (NSM), in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the Common-wealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia.
It is designed to assess the diet quality of Malaysians aged 18-59 years and their compliance with the MDG 2020.
Upon completion of this short online survey, individuals will receive a diet quality score that reflects their overall compliance with the MDG, as well as feedback on how to improve their scores.
Aside from gathering data to complement the information from government national surveys, the MHDOS also aims to raise awareness of our dietary guidelines among Malaysians.
If you are aged 18-59 years old, and not pregnant, lactating or practising special diets due to medical conditions, we invite you to participate in this survey that should only take about 15 minutes to complete.
It is available in Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil, here. – By Associate Professor Dr Wong Jyh Eiin and Dr Tee E Siong.
Assoc Prof Dr Wong Jyh Eiin is an NSM council member and coordinating investigator of the MHDOS. Dr Tee E Siong is the president of NSM.
