Is Malaysia’s children facing a nutrition crisis?

KUALA LUMPUR: In Malaysia, food is our love language. The simple question “sudah makan?” carries care, comfort and connection.

But for Chong Li Choo, a food nutrition and safety researcher as well as mother of two, that familiar phrase now comes with growing concern.

Across school canteens, childcare centres and family kitchens, she sees a troubling pattern emerging: Malaysian children are growing bigger, but not necessarily taller or healthier.

According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2024, Malaysia is facing a “double burden” of malnutrition. Nearly one in four toddlers is stunted, while more than 30% of school-age children are overweight or obese.

The contradiction may sound surprising, but experts say the two problems are deeply connected.

“A child can consume enough calories to gain weight while still lacking the nutrients needed for healthy growth,” Chong said.

That imbalance is becoming increasingly visible in modern Malaysian life, where convenience often dictates what ends up on the dinner table.

For many families, especially those juggling long work hours and rising living costs, preparing nutrient-rich meals from scratch every day is simply unrealistic. In lower-income households, cheaper foods such as instant noodles remain an attractive option because they are hot, filling and affordable.

The problem is not laziness or poor parenting, Chong outlined, but the environment families are navigating. “We often talk about making better choices, but choice itself is a privilege of time and money,” she noted.

Even in wealthier areas, the issue persists. Putrajaya, despite having one of the country’s lowest poverty rates, recorded a stunting rate similar to some lower-income states.

Experts partly attribute this to the pressures faced by dual-income households, where meals are frequently outsourced to childcare centres, convenience foods or takeaway options.

The result is a generation consuming enough to feel full – but not always enough to properly nourish growing brains and bodies.

Chong believes convenience itself should not be treated as the enemy. Instead, she argues that healthier convenience foods need to become more accessible and affordable for modern families.

Malaysia has already taken some steps, including a ban last year on 12 categories of junk food in school canteens. But Chong believes broader changes are needed, from nutrition education in schools to stronger policies on food marketing aimed at children.

She points to Japan’s “Shokuiku” model, which treats food education as part of daily life rather than just classroom theory. Instead of simply memorising facts about vitamins, children learn practical habits around balanced meals, cooking and healthy eating.

Parents, schools and health organisations also need to work together more closely, she said, whether through interactive nutrition talks, parent-child cooking activities, or healthier school meal programmes.

Another growing concern is the influence of social media, where children are constantly exposed to advertisements and influencer content promoting sugary drinks, snacks and ultra-processed foods.

Studies estimate that children encounter unhealthy food marketing dozens of times a week online, shaping cravings long before they fully understand nutrition.

As Malaysia grapples with rising healthcare costs and an ageing population, childhood nutrition can no longer be treated as a niche issue confined to school canteens or parenting forums.

The consequences, experts stress, may follow children well into adulthood.

“When a child sits down for a meal, the choices on that plate reflect the world we’ve built for them,” Chong concluded. “If we want healthier generations, we need to make the healthy choice the easy choice.”

المصدر: Free Malaysia Today