PETALING JAYA: Children should be taught healthy habits from an early age to equip them with the knowledge to protect their health in the long-run, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
It said that this could prevent further increases in cases of non communicable diseases (NCDs).
Below is the MMA statement in full;
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) urges the government to prioritise early education on the importance of healthy habits as part of a national strategy to encourage healthy lifestyle among Malaysians and prevent further increases in cases of non communicable diseases (NCDs).
More drastic preventative measures are needed as a high number of NCD cases can have an impact on the country's productivity, put a strain on the healthcare system and not to mention increase healthcare costs. We need to start thinking of the health of our younger generation and stop NCDs early, before it happens.
Child obesity was almost unheard of 40 to 50 years ago but is now a national health issue. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, 14.8% of children aged between 5 and 17 were found to be obese, a significant increase from 6.1% reported in 2011. More alarmingly, based on the 2015 NHMS, 1.65 million Malaysian school children are expected to be overweight or obese by 2025.
It is crucial to cultivate healthy habits in children during their formative years, ensuring that they carry these habits into adulthood, where a health-conscious lifestyle becomes ingrained.
As children spend a fair amount of time at school, schools would be the ideal platform to pickup healthy habits.
As part of a national strategy to prevent NCDs, the MMA proposes that the Health Ministry and Education Ministry work towards a comprehensive policy to educate children from kindergarten to secondary school on the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle to remain healthy and prevent disease. Health should not be just a test or examination subject but embraced as part of a school lifestyle.
The comprehensive policy to educate children on health should include:
Promoting healthy eating habits
1. A total ban on junk food/processed food at schools.
2. Educating and training of school canteen operators/cooks on the preparation of healthy and nutritious meals.
3. Basic nutrition education.
4. Include calorie and nutrition information on food sold at school canteens.
5. Weight management with monitoring of BMI (Body Mass Index) Health education
1. Education on healthy lifestyle habits; the importance and benefits of healthy eating, regular exercise, proper daily rest, daily physical activity, social interaction, personal hygiene, healthy environment.
Promoting an active lifestyle
1. Daily full body workout/physical exercises as part of the school timetable.
2. Encourage school children to take up at least one physical sport or join a sports club.
(Excludes E-sports)
3. Develop a whole-of-school policy which encourages students,
headmaster/headmistress, teachers and all staff to be physically active.
4. Provide a school environment that encourages being physically active through football fields, badminton courts, running tracks etc. Corporate organisations may also support as part of a CSR programme if there is limited funding for facilities.
Of course, for a successful outcome, parents of school children will have the most important role to play in supporting their child’s healthy development therefore we urge the government to also consider including programmes or activities that can involve parents.
