PUTRAJAYA: Some 54.4 per cent of Malaysian adults are overweight and obese, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023 has found.
This is a 10 per cent increase from the 44.5 per cent figure reported in the 2011 NHMS.
The survey, released by the Health Ministry today highlighted the persistent rise in overweight and obesity cases in the country.
Making matters worse, the NHMS 2023 found that only 4.9 per cent of adults consumed the recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables while 29.9 per cent of adults were physically inactive.
The annual NHMS provides insight into the prevalence of diseases and related risk factors among Malaysians.
This year's survey, unveiled by Health Minister Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, involved 13,616 Malaysians across all age groups.