DESPITE the fact that Malaysia has an incredibly varied choice of fruits, Malaysians consume alarmingly little fruits.
Fruits don't even break into the top 10 daily consumed foods among Malaysian adults, according to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama).
The fact of the matter is that the percentage of adults consuming the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables have been decreasing. Currently, based on the National Health & Morbidity Survey 2015, it is estimated that only 6% of adult Malaysians consume sufficient fruits and vegetables as opposed to the 7.5% recorded in 2011.
While this may seem like a lifestyle choice, it is actually a health concern.
According to the International Journal of Epidemiology, an estimated 5.6 million to 7.8 million deaths worldwide in 2013 could potentially have been prevented yearly if people had consumed 10 portions of fruits and vegetables a day
However, most Malaysian adults do not even consume the daily recommended two servings of fruits.
Here are several common traits as to why most Malaysians are lagging in the consumption of fruits: