Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam today lamented that the country's worrying obesity rate is the result of Malaysia's independence from its colonial masters.

People were much leaner during the pre-independence days, he said.

“The fruits of independence have made us obese. (It is due) to the change of lifestyle from an agro-based to an industrialised-based country.

“Back then people worked at the mines and estates, today people are only in air-conditioned rooms,” he said at the launch of the Malaysian Association of Obesity Scientific Seminar in Kuala Lumpur today.

Food-loving Malaysia has inherited the unflattering title of being one of the most obese in Asia.

Subramaniam, meanwhile, related an experience he had in the Netherlands when he attended a forum on environmental influences on health.

He said the Dutch, who are known to cycle everywhere, even did so while working.

“I was very embarrassed when the Netherlands minister showed a photo of her office.

“Underneath the table, there were actually cycling mechanisms, so when you’re working, your legs will be peddling,” he said.

Tough battle

He also reminisced how he used to cycle nearly 20km daily as a young child.

“Today, I won’t allow my children to cycle to the shop which is next door, for fear they might not come back intact.

“What’s the reason? It is (the) environment, our policies. The development which has occurred has created such a negative situation,” he said.

Subramaniam added that it would be a tough battle to ensure that the obesity problem did not worsen.

“... Title of a morning talk show is Nasi Lemak Kopi O. (It is) so much culturally involved (that) trying to remove this is going to be very difficult.

“It’ll be like fighting against the national identity,” he said, on undoing Nasi Lemak from the Malaysian culture.

About 40 percent of Malaysians are overweight while around 18 percent of the country’s citizens are obese.

Among factors which had led to this problem is the people’s love for the many varieties and delicious, but fat-laden food.

Most stalls are also open 24 hours, which clearly do not help for people to watch their weight.