PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians need to stop eating excessively and start eating healthy, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam.
He said this change was necessary as the community now faced a list of diseases which threaten their health.
“We must become a calorie-conscious society. That means every time we eat, we must see the amount of calories we are consuming.
“Then we must understand how to burn these calories.
“In developed countries, people are very calorie-conscious. They will look at the food before they take it. If there are too much calories, then they will avoid it,” he told a news conference on ‘Makan Secara Sihat Sempena Deepavali’ (Eat Healthy During Deepavali) here yesterday.
Based on the Malaysian Diet Guide, the suggested calorie intake for adults aged between 18 and 59, is 2,000 kcal a day for men, and 1,500 kcal for women.
In conjunction with Deepavali tomorrow, Subramaniam also reminded the Indians to control food intake despite being served a lavish spread as is customary during such occasions.
The ‘Eat Healthy During Deepavali Guide Book’ published specially for the celebration, outlined seven Deepavali dishes as a guide for healthy eating.
The guideline can be obtained from the book which can be downloaded from the ministry’s website www.moh.gov.my or http://nutrition.moh.gov.my. — Bernama