Educating schoolchildren on its importance is vital if we are to raise a healthy and active generation of youths.
Having nutritionists in schools to conduct the checks, which will be done twice a year on an annual basis for children of that age group, will allow the process to be done in a more professional manner as these professionals are trained to use their discretion in handling BMI data, he said. Universiti Malaya Assoc Prof Dr Hazreen Abdul Majid said if programmes like the BMI 5-9T are to be done effectively, parents should be informed of the outcome so as to enable them to plan their next steps.
“The weight circumference for older children will be able to tell if they have more composition of fat in their abdomens,” said Dr Hazreen, who is also an adjunct professor at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia, and a Universiti Malaya Medical Centre consultant dietitian. “The ministry could work with universities which have done studies to show evidence of unhealthy lifestyle practices, as well.
Some parents may contend that their children are small eaters despite being overweight so it is crucial to take note of the latter’s eating habits, said Dr Hazreen. “We cannot just tell pupils to reduce their weight based on their BMIs without providing them with an environment that’s conducive to do it.”
“The number of younger people developing non-communicable diseases, according to the Health Ministry’s national health and morbidity surveys, has increased. We have to do more. “Why do we always buy healthy food as defined by the Western culture, such as salads and quinoa, instead of buying local produce which have extremely high nutritional value and may even be cheaper?“Instead of buying imported fruits, why not go for locally produced ones like papayas and guavas? Guavas have richer Vitamin C than oranges,” he said.
Han03160 spike_mv0204 KazukiLoh CrinityS 059Darren
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »
Source: msianinsight - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »
Source: malaysiakini - 🏆 20. / 51 Read more »
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »
Source: Soya_Cincau - 🏆 16. / 55 Read more »
Source: staronline - 🏆 4. / 75 Read more »