PETALING JAYA: About half of Malaysians made healthier food choices after knowing the calorie content for dishes listed on menus, says a study by the Health Ministry.
Some 45.4% of people in the pilot study noticed the number of calories displayed on menus and chose to avoid high-calorie food items.
Following this, the ministry will be expanding the study next year to more restaurant chains to further investigate if calorie labelling should be implemented nationwide in future.
The study, involving four chain restaurants in Putrajaya, was conducted by the ministry in 2023 to assess calorie tagging on food menus.
“Overall, 95.3% showed positive acceptance towards calorie labelling, though more have yet to apply it consistently when making food choices,” the ministry told The Star.
The study also revealed that 61.4% of respondents noticed the calorie information on menus, and nearly half of them chose to avoid high-calorie items as a result.
The findings of this study were presented at the National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition.
The committee then recommended conducting an expanded study on calorie menu labelling across restaurant chains by zones in 2026.
“Upon this, the implementation of calorie labelling on menus will be determined based on the outcomes of the expanded study,” said the ministry.
Until such a move is taken, here are some examples of common local food and their estimated calorie content:
The calorie intake recommendation based on the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2010 for a sedentary adult aged 18 and 59 is 2,000kcal a day for men and 1,500kcal a day for women.
However, an individual’s calorie needs may be higher or lower according to age, sex, height, weight and levels of physical activity.
Excess calories from foods and drinks contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to obesity or being overweight.
Obesity then increases the risk of health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
In Malaysia, there is an increasing trend in overweight and obese adults in Malaysia from 2011 to 2023, based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023.
As of 2023, some 54% of Malaysian adults were either overweight or obese - a number that consistently grew from 45% in 2011.
On the rise of overweight and obese Malaysians, the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations, Malaysia (FPMPAM) said it was a structural problem, with multiple drivers like cheap and easily accessible high-calorie food.
“Sedentary and urban lifestyles, limited walkable space and large portions in local food culture also contribute to the problem,” it said.
Apart from that, Malaysians often face stressful, long working hours and end up eating late at night.
As such, the FPMPAM believes that calorie labelling can be helpful, but only as part of a broader, more practical strategy for Malaysia.
“There should be affordable healthier foods, gradual recipe reformulation, better public education, and supportive spaces for physical activity.
“This will help healthier choices to become easier choices,” the federation said.
Welcoming the ministry's calorie labelling study, Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo said it was not a standalone solution, but an important step in creating a more health-conscious environment for all Malaysians.
He said unhealthy diets contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose and cholesterol.
“All of these raise the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and certain cancers,” he said.
In 2022, it was reported that the ministry, through the Nutrition Division, was carrying out a food calorie labelling pilot project in restaurants and cafeterias to assess the feasibility of a menu labelling policy in Malaysia.
Then minister, Khairy Jamaluddin said it would be introduced in restaurants in Putrajaya besides ministry cafeterias, as well as fast-food restaurant chains.
He had said the ministry would prepare the information (calorie count) so that businesses do not need to spend money on consultants to label their food menus.
The expanded food labelling study is part of the latest efforts by the ministry to encourage people to make healthier choices in what they eat and drink.
The ministry is also currently developing a mandatory Nutri-Grade Malaysia system, which assigns grades to beverages based on their total sugar content.
The implementation of this system will involve the necessary amendments to the Food Act 1983 and the Food Regulations 1985.
In the initial phase, Nutri-Grade Malaysia will be applied to pre-packaged ready-to-drink beverages.
This will be followed by a second phase covering freshly prepared beverages.
“The extension of the Nutri-Grade labelling system to food products will be potentially considered in the future,” said the ministry.
