Are You At Risk Of Diabetes?

Malaysia has the highest cases of diabetes in Asia and one of the highest in the world. Learn the warning signs and how you can prevent it.

Have you ever been in that situation where you go along for a regular check-up and your doctor looks at the scales, does the calculation for your healthy weight range, looks you in the eye and says, “You are a few kilograms over your healthy weight range.”

It is one of the more awkward conversations they need to have with their patients, say general practitioners. The fact is, most patients who are overweight know they are, and usually start the conversation themselves. But when your doctor tells you that your weight is in the unhealthy or medical-obese range, it can come as a shock.

Malaysia today has the highest rate of diabetes in Asia and one of the highest in the world, probably next to Saudi Arabia, said the National Diabetes Institute (Nadi) executive chairman, Datuk Dr Mustaffa Embong at a recent event. According to Dr Mustaffa about 2.5 million adults with diabetes in the country are those aged 18 and above. “According to Nadi records, statistics suggest that almost half of Malaysians do not know that they have diabetes.

With the deluge of fast food options, childhood obesity and being overweight are pressing issues which may continue through to adulthood if left unchecked.