PETALING JAYA: Malaysians should look beyond merely controlling their sugar consumption in preventing Type 2 diabetes, with health professionals urging for sustained lifestyle changes, earlier health checks and better access to healthier food choices.
This is in line with the message of World Diabetes Day, which took place yesterday, featuring the theme “Early action on diabetes”.
“People often think diabetes is only about sugar. But excess calorie intake is also important.
“This includes high-carbohydrate foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, which can lead to weight gain, obesity and insulin resistance,” said public health medicine specialist Prof Dr Sharifah Ezat Wan Puteh.
Prevention should not be built around crash diets or short-lived efforts, she said.
“Monitor your diet and weight, stay active through walking, cycling or regular exercise, manage stress and get enough sleep. The focus should be on routines that people can maintain,” she said.
She advised people to reduce refined sugar, white rice, sugary drinks and highly-processed foods while increasing fibre intake.
Prof Sharifah, who is president of the Malaysian Society for Harm Reduction, said diabetes risk was shaped by a combination of genetics, family history, age, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating habits and excess body weight, especially fat around the abdomen.
Those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, or abdominal obesity, should undergo regular blood glucose and HbA1c tests, she said.
“Prediabetes and early diabetes may not cause symptoms. Do not wait until you are constantly thirsty, urinating frequently, feeling tired or experiencing blurred vision before getting checked,” she said.
The International Diabetes Federation estimates that 4.75 million Malaysians aged 20 to 79 were living with diabetes in 2024.
Dietitian Ng Kar Foo said that food environment and daily eating patterns must be part of the conversation.
“Type 2 diabetes is a complex, multifactorial condition. It is not simply caused by eating too much sugar.
“Avoiding sugar completely does not guarantee protection.
“The bigger issue is the overall dietary pattern, excess energy intake, physical inactivity and weight gain,” he said.
Ng said consumers should distinguish between naturally occurring sugars in whole fruits and plain milk, and free sugars in sweetened drinks, syrups and desserts.
“For many Malaysians, the most practical place to start is with what they drink. Gradually reduce the sweetness in teh tarik or coffee.
“Eat smaller portions. And make plain water or unsweetened drinks the usual choice,” he said.
Ng said that freshly-prepared drinks at kopitiam, mamak restaurants and cafes could be overlooked sources of sugar, as they generally fall outside the sugar- sweetened beverage excise duty imposed on selected ready-to-drink products.
He urged Malaysians to read nutrition labels, choose whole fruits instead of fruit juice, eat more vegetables and wholegrains.
“Healthy eating does not require drastic restrictions. Small, consistent changes in everyday choices matter more,” he said.
Ng said people should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, adding that a 10 to 15-minute walk after meals was a realistic starting point.
Malaysia has the highest diabetes prevalence in South-East Asia, based on the IDF’s 2024 country estimates.
About 2.4 million Malaysians with diabetes, or 50.4%, are estimated to be undiagnosed.
The disease is also affecting younger people.
Health Ministry data showed that 1,926 patients below 30 were registered in the National Diabetes Registry in 2024, with Type 2 diabetes detected in patients as young as 14.
