The Society with Farhana (EP9): Obesity

Summary

In this episode, Farhana explores the rising obesity epidemic in Malaysia, a country known for its diverse and delicious cuisine. While Malaysia is a food lover's paradise, it also holds the unfortunate title of being the fattest nation in Southeast Asia. The video highlights alarming statistics, with 40% of Malaysians overweight and 14% obese. Factors like unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are discussed, alongside the severe health risks linked to obesity. The video also examines government efforts and cultural challenges in combating this public health crisis, emphasizing the need for a balanced diet and active lifestyle.

Takeaways

• 🍛 Malaysia is renowned for its diverse and delicious food culture, with dishes like nasi lemak and laksa.
• 🏋️ Malaysia is also known as the fattest country in Southeast Asia due to rising obesity rates.
• 🌍 Globally, over 1.9 billion adults are overweight, and over 650 million are obese.
• 📊 In Malaysia, 40% of the population is overweight, and 14% are obese.
• 📉 The obesity epidemic in Malaysia is influenced by unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity.
• 🏫 Studies show that nearly 30% of Malaysian school students are either overweight or obese.
• 💉 Obesity leads to serious health issues like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
• 💸 Malaysia bears the highest cost of obesity in ASEAN, spending 10-20% of its healthcare budget on obesity-related treatments.
• 🚫 The Malaysian government has implemented initiatives like taxing sweetened beverages to combat obesity.
• 🏃 Prevention strategies from other countries, such as Japan and Finland, highlight the importance of healthy eating and active lifestyles.

Q & A

What is the primary topic discussed in the video transcript?

The primary topic discussed is the obesity epidemic in Malaysia, its causes, and its impact on the population.

What percentage of the Malaysian population is overweight, according to the World Health Organization?

According to the World Health Organization, 40% of the Malaysian population is overweight.

What are some common health conditions associated with obesity mentioned in the transcript?

Common health conditions associated with obesity mentioned in the transcript include diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, sleep apnea, coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis, gout, and certain cancers.

What is the body mass index (BMI) used for?

The body mass index (BMI) is used to classify adults into categories such as underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese.

How much of Malaysia's healthcare expenditure is spent on treating obesity?

Malaysia spends 10 to 20 percent of its healthcare expenditure on treating obesity, amounting to a total cost between 17 to 30 billion, which is equivalent to about 2 percent of the country's GDP.

What dietary habits are contributing to the obesity problem in Malaysia?

Contributing dietary habits include overeating, consuming high-calorie foods, and eating out frequently, which limits control over the nutritional content of the food.

What measures has the Malaysian government proposed to combat obesity?

The Malaysian government has proposed measures such as introducing an excise duty on sweetened beverages to reduce sugar consumption.

How are children in Malaysia affected by obesity, according to the study mentioned in the transcript?

According to a study by the Nutrition Society of Malaysia, almost 30 percent of school students are either overweight or obese.

What examples of international strategies to prevent obesity are mentioned in the transcript?

Examples include Japan's approach of providing healthy meals in schools and teaching children to prepare them, and Finland's 'health in all policies' approach, where the city's Health Department collaborates with schools, parents, and urban planning professionals.

What are the two main factors contributing to obesity as discussed in the transcript?

The two main factors contributing to obesity discussed in the transcript are excessive food consumption and physical inactivity.

Outlines

00:00

🍲 Malaysia: A Food Lover's Paradise with a Growing Obesity Problem

Malaysia is renowned for its diverse and delicious cuisine, including nasi lemak and award-winning laksa. However, this culinary richness comes with a downside as Malaysia is also the fattest country in Southeast Asia. In this episode, host Farhana explores the obesity epidemic plaguing the nation. Globally, over 1.9 billion adults are overweight, with 650 million classified as obese. In Malaysia, nearly half the population is overweight or obese, with 40% overweight and 14% obese according to the World Health Organization. The lifestyle choices of Malaysians, including frequent eating out and physical inactivity, contribute significantly to this health crisis.

05:00

🏥 The Health Risks and Economic Impact of Obesity

Obesity carries severe health risks, including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The Nutritionist Society of Malaysia found that nearly 30% of school students are overweight or obese. Personal stories, such as that of a young man who nearly lost his life due to obesity, highlight the dangers. Malaysia bears the highest cost of obesity in ASEAN, spending 10-20% of healthcare budgets on related issues, equivalent to 2% of GDP. Despite government efforts to combat obesity through initiatives like taxing sweetened beverages, the problem persists, requiring a multifaceted approach involving various ministries and societal changes.

10:03

🌍 Global Efforts and Solutions to Combat Obesity

Countries around the world have adopted various strategies to combat obesity. In Japan, children are taught to prepare healthy meals in schools, while Finland's Health Department collaborates with schools, parents, and urban planners to promote a healthier environment. Malaysia's government is attempting similar programs, but the multifaceted nature of obesity requires cooperation across multiple ministries. To truly address the epidemic, Malaysians need to embrace healthier lifestyles, including balanced diets and regular physical activity. Prevention and moderation are key to reversing the trend and ensuring long-term health for the population.

Keywords

💡Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition characterized by excessive body fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. In the video, it is highlighted as a major health concern in Malaysia, with the country having the highest obesity rate in Southeast Asia. The script discusses the impact of obesity on health, including diseases like diabetes and heart conditions.

💡Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is a measure calculated using a person's weight and height to classify them into categories such as underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. The video uses BMI to explain how the Malaysian population's weight issues are quantified, showing that nearly half of the population falls into the overweight or obese categories.

💡Diet

Diet refers to the kinds of food that a person habitually eats. The video points out that Malaysians' dietary habits, particularly the high consumption of calorie-dense foods and frequent eating out, contribute significantly to the obesity epidemic. Examples include nasi lemak and laksa, which are popular but high in calories.

💡Physical Inactivity

Physical inactivity is a lack of sufficient physical exercise, which is a significant factor contributing to obesity. The video mentions that Malaysians are generally physically inactive, which, combined with high-calorie diets, leads to weight gain and obesity.

💡Health Concerns

Health concerns refer to medical conditions or diseases that affect well-being. The video lists several serious health conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea, stressing the urgent need to address the obesity issue to prevent these diseases.

💡Prevention Strategies

Prevention strategies are methods or approaches designed to prevent the onset of diseases or health conditions. The video discusses various strategies adopted by different countries to combat obesity, such as Japan's healthy school meals and Finland's health-in-all-policies approach, suggesting that Malaysia could benefit from similar initiatives.

💡Government Initiatives

Government initiatives are actions taken by the government to address public issues. The video mentions Malaysian government measures, like the introduction of an excise duty on sweetened beverages, aimed at reducing sugar consumption and addressing obesity.

💡Cultural Habits

Cultural habits refer to the customary practices and behaviors of a society. The video highlights how cultural practices, such as eating at all hours and the societal norm of frequent dining out, contribute to the obesity problem in Malaysia.

💡Economic Impact

Economic impact refers to the financial effects of a condition or event on a society. The video states that Malaysia spends a significant portion of its healthcare budget on treating obesity-related conditions, which has a substantial economic impact on the country.

💡Healthy Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle involves maintaining a balanced diet and regular physical activity. The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle to combat obesity, suggesting that Malaysians need to eat moderately and stay physically active to reduce the prevalence of obesity and its related health issues.

Highlights

Malaysia is renowned for its diverse and delicious cuisine, including nasi lemak and award-winning laksa.

Despite its culinary fame, Malaysia has also been labeled as the fattest country in Southeast Asia due to rising obesity rates.

The obesity epidemic in Malaysia is explored in this episode of The Society with Farhana.

Globally, over 1.9 billion adults are overweight, with more than 650 million classified as obese.

In Malaysia, close to half of the population is overweight or obese, with 40% overweight and 14% obese according to the WHO.

Factors contributing to Malaysia's obesity rates include high calorie consumption and physical inactivity.

A study by the Nutrition Society of Malaysia found that nearly 30% of school students are overweight or obese.

Obesity significantly increases the risk of various health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

Malaysia spends 10-20% of its healthcare expenditure on obesity-related treatments, equating to 17-30 billion MYR or about 2% of the GDP.

Government initiatives include introducing an excise duty on sweetened beverages starting from April 2019.

Eating habits, including consuming food late at night, are a significant part of the cultural challenges in combating obesity.

Other countries, like Japan and Finland, have adopted successful prevention strategies involving healthy meals and community-wide health policies.

Experts emphasize the need for a coordinated effort among various government ministries to effectively tackle the obesity crisis.

Moderation in eating and regular physical activity are key recommendations for Malaysians to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The episode concludes with a call to action for Malaysians to work harder to eat less and exercise more to combat obesity.

Transcripts

Malaysia is a heaven for food lovers

everywhere from our classic nasi lemak

to award-winning laksa there is nothing

that can't satisfy our tastes but here

but our food paradise is also given

another title masala ho obesity sadhana

in Kedah Malaysia that brother bharat

abhiyan amin amin bankin the fattest

country in Southeast Asia in this

episode of the society with me Farhana

we will uncover the obesity epidemic

that fit our food loving nation

[Music]

obesity is a growing health concern

across the globe worldwide more than one

point nine billion adults are overweight

of this over 650 million are obese the

body mass index that calculates the

person's weight over their height is

generally used to classify adults into

underweight normal weight overweight and

obese in Malaysia close to half of the

population falls under the last two

categories the latest estimate by World

Health Organization found at forty

percent of the Malaysian population are

overweight on top of that 14 percent of

us are obese making Malaysia the fattest

in the region can I need obese detail

got happy goose Ventura some pie which

aha funny thing is Kelly do like to go

to Lima to gram-negative score under to

say active the Phoenix example mechana

can interject good among new to quite

near the keeper sexiest turns me so much

Ken among a good fella some people

college the study may moments at this

time so sequentially when the young sand

on the picking Jana so example McGee

Rica to calibrachoa to always get up in

Metallica mama so among mark Angela we

and bully

by bulimic Elie Tahari stop we need an

abortion young man young mee goreng

women save me a favorite I am say

bulimic as Modena yo I minus mu delaila

say the minimum when some tapas de

alcalá go and low talk among the low

carving moon second marker Banja so some

pathetic in young young young the

department you live in today

yeah the well is known as a food heaven

so we are actually spot for choice

he said drum up eating out among

Malaysian is very serious now I guess we

spend half our meal outside the home

which means that the what I will be eat

because we don't have control on see you

or the Omega ring what comes that's what

you eat right you can't even if

easterland cut down the soul look at all

this fact it's still there so diet is

number one still number two of course a

lot of people talk about us being

physically inactive which is true how

most studies simulation shows the

relation incidentally so the tool

actually we eat far too much and we're

Sudan 3 so the end result is of course

you're gonna have positive energy

balance and over the years that's what

we are seeing Malaysians are getting

bigger and fatter the very catchy

it will get easier

[Music]

when we work as a sample the Kachina

said his Teresa to some place are you

know Morrigan puppets are you super that

what you say like and civility somebody

family member that mother to go the same

OMB indicate a naive a study done by the

nutritionist Society of Malaysia on more

than eight thousand school students

reveals that almost 30 percent of them

are either overweight or obese and we

did a bloody business in amending India

say super nice Sangin district pictures

most definitely table checker happening

auntie Christy lambda mu Susanna was so

conquering the Ganga besides again for

victory being obese almost cost him his

life so yeah I sell ya de la Sol running

obese so to continue that we sort of

first at school regarding salami McCain

masala I'm saying that sayin um seda

Monica Brevard and improve hello to

Germany in cut surface is columella

then smoking basalt rocks Allah some say

a phenomena but can draw out an obesity

do people see the less i remote the go

plump at Cahoon

but what we to say it does that gonna be

much much of masala Willis a check a

dear sweet a lot about the clinic is had

that blood pressure areas this is a

teeny then so you

the second in a locket picture - potato

glory boo but bless say Sudama me the

calendar ahi insanity need then allow me

- throw espana broccoli

did he beautiful but the cabron

Alma dear sweet also a below and the

wrong solution dears anomaly detector or

knee obesity Moodle then but that rubber

in over a buddha wat improvement over

about a koala

Simon was all Ryan khatma camp will be

say a bit more mechanic say stretched my

car say super same I can say believe

Mocambo gulapa BG sergeant of atomic

animation a focus on you keep the now we

don't Gary Segura Krueger ah Lord the

effort in the people to adapt our comic

and to determine well hello that was

your easier said water mania the mother

of all these you see big obese expose

you to this almost ready Tyler

two conditions diabetes hypertension

dyslipidemia insulin-resistant sleep

apnea these are very serious when your

bacon and then other factors like

coronary heart disease osteoarthritis

gout and for women beware his marital

cleanses the cause by being just a movie

a new piece so a lot of things a lot of

people doing take or pay heat is because

when one die you are not the certificate

I'm going to say you die because you're

obese that's why people don't care this

is the problem your change of mind said

obese my it's not your stuff get when

you die of heart disease or diabetes

away but if you look at this people they

are actually obese according to the

economic intelligence unit Malaysia

bears the highest overall cost of

obesity among ASEAN countries Malaysia

spends an alarming ten to twenty percent

of the country's health care expenditure

in treating obesity the total cost

obesity in Malaysia lies between 17 to

30 billion this is equivalent to about

two percent of the country's GDP

kudos misma saw then really keep the

leaky brother-in-law do keep in now it's

a safe spoon and be myself still what

gurus did it Buddha to begin pet- la the

keep it Inger the dissolution young it I

didn't to Connecticut to do mock our

sake do but who taking a guru Barra

over the years the government has come

up with many initiatives to fight the

prevalence of obesity in Malaysia in the

recent budget 2019 the government

proposed to introduce an excise duty on

sweetened beverages starting from the

3rd of April 2019 one attacks on

sweetened drinks might help Malaysians

consume less sugar what about our habit

of overeating is okay to provide food

24/7 because the assimilation culture

this is the problem if that is rigid

cultural then don't don't be surprised

if we are number one the world you

should ask yourself is is it right to

eat at 3 a.m. in the morning or 3 a.m.

in the morning when you are supposed to

be sleeping whatever however they argue

were they gonna say out oh my cousin why

to patronize these places young people

so this is not the culture that we

should inculcate like oh if you want to

be getting out of this problem and in

many countries prevention strategies

have been adopted to stop the spread of

obesity in Japan to curb the rate of

childhood obesity children not only eat

healthy meals in schools but also learn

to prepare them finland adopted a health

in all policies approach where the

city's Health Department worked with

schools parents and urban planning

professionals to create a healthier

overall environment the government and

especially language you must study

they're trying their best to to come up

with programs to unfortunately cause of

obesity is multifaceted one ministry

candor can do the whole thing all the

proof else is a program at leak it has

to be a coherent effort from different

ministries you know to to actually work

hand in hand with MOH to help copy the

people but even with better prevention

strategies what can really be the

solution to the obesity epidemic still

in the minds of Malaysian that we are

we're doing it and we should eat more

gravy instead of rice good Noma you only

have a squat to push on this rice but

you pushing the protein and fruits and

vegetable should make half of you you

shouldn't give up what you like but just

eat moderately keep physically fit so

that you're used to can enjoy what you

want

Satan's Lima Luigi Luigi sample a truce

- Joe Bulo a truce will flow to do I

deal with a set of integers which

movement see the really blurry

non-concurrent will say we join conquer

and you can not get a nice very obese

tree moving enter and Alana cattaneo

beast and get a moon when you convert

one there is no easy way out when

leading a healthy lifestyle everyone

should work harder to eat less and

exercise more this is me

Farhana see you next time

[Music]

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