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PENAMPANG: Healthy eating habits must be cultivated from an early age to address the growing prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases among Malaysians, said Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Julita Majungki.

She said findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2024 showed that 13.6 per cent of children and adolescents aged between five and 19 years were classified as obese, while 23.1 per cent of adults were also affected by obesity.

Speaking when officiating the state-level Nutrition Month Malaysia 2026 celebration at ITCC on Saturday, Julita said the figures underscored the need for parents, teachers and the wider community to instil healthy eating habits from childhood.

She said simple measures such as increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables, consuming more milk and dairy products where appropriate, and reducing the consumption of sugar, salt and fat could help improve health outcomes and reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

Julita also urged the public to adopt a more active lifestyle and stressed that maintaining good health requires the commitment and participation of individuals, families and communities, adding that health is a shared responsibility.