Malaysia is ranked sixth among Asian countries with high adult obesity rate, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Malaysian Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai told a press conference in Malaysia's federal administration center here on Wednesday that the weight of Malaysian students were also on an increasing trend.
While 20.7 percent of Malaysian students were overweight in 2001, Liow said that the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2006 had forecast that the percentage would rise to 26.5 in 2007.
The survey, third of its kind, is done every 10 years in Malaysia, with the first one done in 1986.
Liow said that 60 percent of Malaysians aged 18 and above had a body mass index (BMI) of over 23.
The BMI is a heuristic measure of body weight based on a person 's weight and height. While the range between 23 and 24.9 indicates overweight, a reading above 25 means obese.
Liow said that it was critical for the Malaysian government to tackle the problem as obese individuals encountered higher risks of developing chronical diseases, which would in turn affect the country's productivity.
The minister also pointed out that Malaysians poor eating habits was worrying as their high consumption of fat and meat would lift their body weights, resulting in them developing diseases such as diabetes, heart attack, kidney disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure
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