KUALA LUMPUR: With the rising cost of food, low-income Malaysians are increasingly being drawn to unhealthy choices, putting them at risk of nutritional inequalities.
This was revealed by Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), through a discussion paper titled 'Unhealthy but not by Choice: Food Environment and Nutrition Inequalities'.
The paper also revealed that Malaysians with limited time also tend to face the same situation, despite being able to afford fresh and healthy food.
This second group is said to prefer fast or processed food because it is easily and quickly available.
The high cost of fruits and vegetables has made them unaffordable for many people.
"Although fruits and vegetables are essential for a healthy diet, these food items constitute the largest component of healthy food costs, making them no longer affordable for everyone.
"Price is the primary factor in food choices for low-income families, compared to other factors such as food availability and taste preferences.
"Therefore, this group (low-income Malaysians) are more inclined to purchase and consume less healthy food because it is cheaper, more readily available, and more attractive due to promotions and marketing," KRI said in a statement today.
The discussion paper, authored by KRI Associate Researcher, Dr Teoh Ai Ni, examines the food environment in the country through various dimensions, while also identifying segments of society inclined to choose less healthy food.
It also identifies the increasing availability of high-calorie, high-fat, sugary, or salty foods, driven by targeted marketing strategies.
The rise in eating out, usually associated with high-calorie and low-quality diets, also contributes to the difficulty of maintaining a healthy diet, it was revealed.
Food delivery services on online platforms provide easy access to fast food and sugary drinks, contributing to the continuous availability of unhealthy food choices.
The study also found a need to make healthy food choices at least more available, accessible, and desirable than unhealthy options.
This needs to be addressed through nutrition-focused approaches and consumer education with food environment interventions to effectively tackle malnutrition issues at all levels.
Recommendations include improving existing food environment policies such as sugar beverage taxes, Healthier Choice logos, and fast food advertising guidelines to address food choice inequalities more effectively.
Other suggestions include expanding the scope of food environment policies to address new challenges arising from widespread digital food marketing, changes in the food retail sector, and increased eating out.