KUALA LUMPUR: Food influencers on social media should help promote healthy eating and dining among Malaysians, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The Health Minister said that key opinion leaders could influence the public in both positive and negative ways.
“We want our influencers to uphold the most important agenda, which is to promote healthy dining and lifestyles.
“We will also engage with influencers so that they can help us promote our healthy agendas,” he told reporters after moderating a dialogue on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (Nutrition) here on Tuesday (Aug 5).
Dr Dzulkefly said that the NHMS Nutrition report highlights ongoing challenges that remain pressing.
“Our role as health nutritionists is to ensure that healthy eating and dining practices are prioritized.
“Our approach involves a whole-of-government strategy, with the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) himself chairing a committee to address issues such as the double burden of malnutrition, especially among adolescents and children,” he said.
He added that the shortages of vegetables, fruits, and dairy products continue to be a challenge, highlighting the need to understand the importance of the supply side in this matter.
For this, he said that the government will start with policies on food literacy and nutrition awareness.
“We need to disseminate this information and integrate it into our practices.
“Ultimately, it is about ensuring that food suppliers, particularly manufacturers, along with our own practices, promote the idea that healthy food does not have to be expensive,” he said.
He added that the ministry’s initiatives, along with the Healthier Choice Logo (HCL), will be implemented more firmly and assertively.
The NHMS on Nutrition has found that there was low consumption of fruits and vegetables for both adolescents and adults.
Meanwhile, only 2.9% of adolescents and 0.7% of adults consume the two servings recommended by the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2020.
The survey also revealed that adolescents consume 7.6 cups of sweetened drinks on average, while adults consume 8.1 cups.
