Mmmm, wouldn’t it be nice to start our glorious morning with a plate of santan-infused nasi lemak, topped with a hard-boiled egg, crispy ikan bilis and spicy red sambal?
Simply imagining the good, classic nasi lemak is enough to make us drool!
Not trying to be a food police (especially as this writer right here is a fellow nasi lemak lover), but nasi lemak, roti canai, teh tarik – basically the Malaysian favourites, when enjoyed to our heart’s content, can lead to a serious, chronic disease called diabetes – a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and lower limb amputation.
The following are some scary facts and figures of diabetes that you should know.
1. 1 in 5 adults in Malaysia have diabetes
The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 estimated that 1 in 5 adults in Malaysia have diabetes. That’s about 3.9 million adults aged 18 and above!
2. 49% of diabetic people in Malaysia had NEVER been examined or diagnosed with diabetes
Isn’t it scary that we don’t realise we have a chronic disease until it’s a little too late?
3. 93.71% of patients registered with Malaysia’s National Diabetes Registry (NDR) were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
Of 1,614,363 patients registered with the NDR in 2019, type 2 diabetes formed the majority with 93.71% of patients, followed by type 1 diabetes (6.2%), and other forms of diabetes (0.09%).
4. The majority of diabetic patients have type 2 diabetes, reports the World Health Organization (WHO)
Type 2 diabetes, resulting from the body’s ineffective use of insulin is largely contributed by excess body weight and physical inactivity.
Previously, only adults were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Now, children, too, are increasingly being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes thanks to overweight and obesity.
At home, 1 in 2 adults in Malaysia are overweight or obese, as this data shows.
5. You can prevent type 2 diabetes even if you have diabetic biological relatives
If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes, keep your spirits high!
Keeping a healthy lifestyle can help slow or even stop the progression to diabetes. Eating healthy (which unfortunately includes cutting down on your favourite nasi lemak) and getting active will go a long way!
It’s virtually impossible to resist nasi lemak, roti canai, teh tarik or other guilty pleasures in this food paradise called Malaysia. But you don’t have to deny yourself such delicious treats! Consume them moderately and if you like, be creative and make a healthier version of them (brown nasi lemak, anyone?).
Please also protect yourself by getting adequate medical and life insurance. Start browsing for the best plan so you can get the most out of your insurance. Bjak is one good platform that lets you customise your insurance to best fit your needs and budget. Give it a try. It’s completely free.
References:
Bjak.my 