MALAYSIANS CONSUME AN ADDITIONAL 51 GRAMMES OF SUGAR THAN RECOMMENDED

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- Adults in Malaysia consume 51g or seven
tea spoons more of sugar in their drinks, an amount that surpasses their
recommended amount of sugar intake.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said sugar intake in drinks of
adults exceeded that recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the
Malaysian Diet Guide, that is not more than 50g or 10 per cent of the daily
energy need.

"And this is not in addition to sugar used in sweet delicacies, porridge,
cakes, ice cream, chocolates and bread spreads which we eat daily," he said in
his speech to officiate the 'Reduce Sugar Consumption Campaign 2010' here
Sunday.

The six-month campaign is supported by among others the Ministry of Domestic
Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism and the Ministry of Information
Communication and Culture.

Liow said individuals needed to climb 14 floors to burn 20 kilocalories
which is contained in one tea spoon of sugar.


"Imagine, we have to walk up 98 storeys if we take seven tea spoons of sugar
that supplies 140kcal of energy per day," he said.

Liow said society needed to be aware of excessive sugar intake without
balanced and suitable physical activity that can cause an individual to be obese
in the long run.

The Health Ministry's study also found that the percentage of overweight
adults had increased two times, that is from 16 per cent in 1996 to 29.1 per
cent in 2006, he said.

"The percentage of obese adults jumped three fold from 4.4 per cent in 1996
to 14 per cent in 2006. Those with diabetes in the 30 years and above group
increased from 8.3 per cent to 14.9 per cent in the same period," he said.

Liow said the government had discussions with the food industry to produce
food products that had less sugar so that people enjoyed healthy food.

-- BERNAMA