OBESITY is not only a public health crisis but also an economic one. It already consumes 10 to 20 per cent of Malaysia’s healthcare budget.
Obese individuals may also lose up to 12 productive years through absenteeism, presenteeism, early retirement, or premature death.
The total economic burden was estimated at US$5.68 billion (1.6 per cent of GDP) in 2019 and is projected to soar to US$104.55 billion (four per cent of GDP) by 2060.
To curb sugar intake, the government introduced an SSB (sugar-sweetened beverages) tax in 2019 at 40 sen per litre, raised it to 50 sen in 2024, then to 90 sen per litre this year.
The Health Ministry also launched the Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) in 2019, limiting sugar content in sweetened beverages to less than 5g per 100ml.
Yet the SSB tax has had a limited impact. An unpublished study (2022) by the ministry found that at least 242 beverages were reformulated to sit just below taxable thresholds (e.g. <5g/100ml for soft drinks or <7g/100ml for flavoured UHT milk-based beverages), keeping price increases at only 2.24 per cent instead of the expected 8.83 per cent.
For consumers, these numbers mean little: most cannot interpret nutrition labels. A simple rule of thumb: take the total carbohydrates and divide by four to get teaspoons of sugar.
By that measure, a 355ml can of “reformulated” soft drink still delivers more than four teaspoons, while a 500ml flavoured milk contains over seven — enough to exceed or nearly max out the WHO’s daily limit of six teaspoons in one serving, all while staying under the tax radar.
In a country where diets are already heavy with rice, noodles and sweetened coffee or tea, Malaysians are surpassing safe sugar levels long before the day is done.
Without clearer education, the mentality that one or two drinks a day is harmless goes unchallenged.
Awareness remains another challenge.
A study this year found 57 per cent of obese Malaysians misclassified themselves as overweight or normal, partly because Malaysia sets obesity at BMI above 27.5 instead of 25, as in the wider Asia-Pacific.
This higher cut-off not only feeds public misperception but also means official surveys may be significantly understating Malaysia’s true obesity burden.
Malaysia needs a whole-of-society strategy that hits at every level — from classrooms and clinics to supermarkets and city streets. Consider these:
1. Obesity education and awareness: Scale up school-based education and nationwide campaigns that make sugar risks tangible (e.g. teaching the “carbs ÷ 4 = teaspoons” rule).
Link with the KOSPEN (Komuniti Sihat Pembina Negara) programme to expand community-based screenings and early NCD (non-communicable disease) interventions.
2. Professionalisation of healthcare providers: Make obesity training a core part of medical curricula and continuing education. Equip providers to design personalised weight-loss plans, while mandating sensitivity training to reduce stigma and encourage patient follow-ups.
3. Multi-disciplinary care models: Establish integrated clinics that tailor treatment to age, goals, and motivation, combining exercise, diet, psychological support, BMI monitoring, medication, and bariatric surgery where necessary. Prioritise long-term monitoring to sustain lifestyle changes.
4. Tax reform and revenue recycling: Lower the sugar thresholds that trigger taxation, raise the SSB tax rate to at least RM1 per litre, and extend coverage to high-sugar foods.
This dual approach will limit the industry’s ability to endlessly reformulate without meaningful change.
5. Redirect revenues into nutrition programmes such as Rancangan Makanan Tambahan (RCT) and Super Sarapan, which provide free meals to low-income students.
6. Nudges and incentives for healthy lifestyles: Use clearer labels, reminders and strategic product placement to shift consumer behaviour. Partner with supermarkets and fintech platforms to reward healthy purchases and verified exercise milestones.
7. Digital engagement: Develop a national health app modelled after Singapore’s Healthy 365, with challenges, resources, and activity tracking. Reward users for choosing HCL-certified products and exercising with redeemable points or e-vouchers.
8. Health-based urban planning: Redesign neighbourhoods to prioritise people over cars. Invest in safe sidewalks, bike lanes and green spaces, while ensuring walkable access to public transport.
Malaysia is running out of time. If obesity continues unchecked, the nation will face a double blow of collapsing public health and crippling economic losses — undermining productivity, prosperity and social stability.
* The writers are part of the research team at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research
*The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
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