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#HEALTH: Obesity - a ticking time bomb
By Meera Murugesan
June 26, 2026 @ 10:07am
FOR the longest time, obesity has been linked to a lack of self-control. Overweight people are viewed as lacking the willpower to eat less and be more active.
But health experts now recognise obesity as a disease — a complex, chronic condition that needs to be managed like any other disease with the right support and treatment.
We can't make any progress when we shame those who are obese, downplay their efforts to lose weight or mock them when they fail to achieve weight loss goals.Obesity is a significant public health problem in Malaysia.
We have the highest rates of obesity and overweight people in the Asean region. And one in two Malaysians is either obese or overweight, according to the 2024 National Health and Morbidity Survey.
It is not a number we can be proud of as obesity significantly increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Yet, Malaysians don't feel scared when they are diagnosed with NCDs, unlike cancer, for example, says Health Ministry non-communicable disease division director Dr Noraryana Hassan.
This nonchalant approach to NCDs is compounding the task of managing obesity in the country.
Dr Noraryana says the ministry has implemented many programmes over the years to tackle the problem, with a significant focus on obesity care and management. However, Malaysia's battle with the bulge remains challenging.
"It's no longer a question of just telling people to eat less and move more. For some patients, pharmacological and surgical treatments need to be considered."
SUPPORT, NOT SHAME
From a national health perspective, creating an environment where people feel safe to seek care early is critical.
"When people feel blamed or misunderstood, they delay care," says Dr Noraryana.
Understanding concepts such as "food noise" and recognising obesity as a chronic disease helps remove this stigma.
For many people living with obesity, one of the most misunderstood challenges is food noise, a constant and involuntary preoccupation with food driven by biological signals in the brain rather than a lack of discipline.
This persistent hunger signalling can make repeated weight loss attempts extremely difficult, often leading to weight regain without medical support.
When conversations are grounded in science and compassion, Malaysians are more likely to come forward earlier, which is essential in addressing NCDs.
"We must change the way we view obesity. It's not a personal choice or a lack of willpower. It's a complex health condition influenced by many factors, from genetics, diet and lifestyle to the environment we live in," says Dr Noraryana.
Novo Nordisk Pharma (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd general manager Dr Praful Chakkarwar believes the same.
In Malaysia, obesity is often reduced to willpower, discipline or appearance when it is a chronic disease influenced by biology and is closely linked to cardiovascular health, he says
Managing it means understanding drivers such as food noise and focusing on improving overall health, including reducing fat in areas that impact cardiovascular risk, not just chasing a lower number on the scale.
Dr Praful says persistent hunger signalling and preoccupation with food are driven by biology in the brain, not by personal weakness.
Research in Malaysia shows that repeated weight loss attempts often end in weight regain because these biological signals push the body to defend its weight.
"This is why willpower alone is often not enough and why medical guidance matters."
Obesity is not just a health issue either, he points out.
According to the World Obesity Federation, the total economic burden of overweight and obesity in Malaysia is estimated at US$5.68 billion or about 1.6 per cent of the gross domestic product.
Importantly, more than 86 per cent of this cost comes not from hospital bills, but from productivity losses — missed workdays, reduced performance at work, early retirement and premature mortality.
SHEDDING WEIGHT WHERE IT MATTERS MOST
If current trends continue, this burden is projected to rise significantly, reaching close to four per cent of the gross domestic product by 2060.
"This tells us that obesity is not only a personal health issue, but a national sustainability issue," says Dr Praful.
BEYOND THE SCALE
For people struggling with obesity, health outcomes depend not just on weight loss, but on losing weight in the right places.
Consultant upper gastrointestinal surgeon Dr Reynu Rajan says, from a clinical perspective, health risks are driven largely by excess fat around vital organs, not just total body weight.
It is important to lose excess fat and not muscle during one's weight loss journey, she explains.
"We should look beyond the numbers on a weighing scale during management of obesity."
When care starts early and focuses on reducing harmful visceral fat, whether through lifestyle support, medical treatment or surgery, we see far better long-term outcomes, she says.
Ultimately, it should be about improving health and quality of life, not cosmetic weight loss.
Consultant endocrinologist and Health Ministry endocrine subspeciality deputy head Datuk Dr Noor Lita Adam says early recognition is crucial.
When obesity is understood and addressed earlier, we have a better opportunity to reduce long-term health risks and support healthier outcomes in a way that is more sustainable and medically meaningful, she says.
Integrated prevention and care efforts should also be the order of the day.
Public health medicine specialist and Health Ministry disease control division cardiorenal metabolic control sector head Dr Sivarajan Ramasamy says obesity is a key driver of many cardiometabolic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and kidney complications.
Addressing it effectively requires a coordinated, whole-of-system approach that brings together early detection, clinical management and sustained public awareness.
CALL TO ACTION
Novo Nordisk Malaysia has launched "Sayang, Kan?", a nationwide public awareness campaign calling for a more compassionate, science-based approach to how obesity is understood and addressed in Malaysia.
The campaign encourages Malaysians to seek medical advice and support not as a last resort, but as an intentional act of self-care, grounded in science and dignity.
Through Sayang, Kan?, Novo Nordisk Malaysia aims to normalise informed, compassionate conversations between people living with obesity and healthcare professionals, and to shift focus away from appearance-driven narratives toward health, biology and long-term well-being.
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