Potong kaki drinks: Three-layer ice tea, sirap Bandung and soft drinks are a favourite of many, especially youths. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: They look nice and taste extremely sweet, but if taken too much, it may affect your health, including losing part of your limbs.
These “potong kaki” beverages have something in common; they are made with excessive use of condensed milk, gula Melaka and concentrated syrups with incredibly high sugar content that can worsen diabetes.
But many still take this health hazard lightly.
Excessively sugary drinks like three-layer iced tea, sirap Bandung, teh ais mengigau, teh ais gula pong with boba, and many more, are still popular among youths during the hot season.
An eatery operator who wanted to remain anonymous said these types of sweet drinks were a favourite among his customers, especially the youth.
“They like sweet drinks with ice, and some of them are kids as young as 10 years old,” he said.
Public health expert Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said for diabetics, the high intake of sugar through drinks and foods may cause uncontrolled and poorly managed diabetes.
“The consequences of diabetes are damage to the heart, eyes and kidneys, as well as ulcers on the legs, and possibly amputation of the legs.
“Consuming excessive sugary drinks can also lead to other negative health effects, such as being overweight, increased risk of type 2 diabetes and dental problems,” he said.
He said it was vital to limit the consumption of sugary drinks like soft drinks, energy drinks, sweetened juices and sports drinks.
“Choose alternatives like plain water, unsweetened tea, infused water or natural fruit juices. It is time to promote plain water as the primary beverage to stay hydrated,” he said, adding that young children should be taught to carry a refillable water bottle.
Penang youth and health committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said despite the introduction of the sugar tax in 2019, Malaysia is still ranked 10th out of 161 nations in terms of sugar consumption per capita.
“Apart from diabetes and diabetic-related diseases, other major effects on sugary drinks consumption include obesity and metabolic syndrome (a combination of conditions like high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and others).
“This increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” he said.
He said the total cost to treat diabetes in the country has risen to nearly RM4.4bil each year and this will continue to rise if Malaysians do not practise a good and healthy lifestyle.
“Whatever the diet is, moderation is always the key takeaway for the public to continue a healthy lifestyle,” he said.
Meanwhile, Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has urged Malaysians, especially the youth, to change their lifestyle by limiting the intake of sugar in their diet.
Its president Mohideen Abdul Kader said the majority of youths and children like carbonated drinks, which contain nearly eight teaspoons of sugar.
“The youth are addicted to these drinks because of the sweetness. Sugar is the most harmful additive in food and can bring harm to health.
“It is the one ingredient that has been linked to a host of diseases.
“According to the International Diabetes Federation, as the global per capita consumption of sugar increased over the years, the global prevalence of diabetes also increased progressively.
“Recent studies indicate that sugar also contributes to heart disease, stroke and some cancers,” he said.
