MALAYSIA NEEDS MORE DIETICIANS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia needs more dieticians to promote
healthy eating habits among the society, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said
Saturday.

He said dieticians played an important role in motivating the people to
change their eating habits and thus, create an impact on the health of the
society.

"A lot of people do not practice good dietary habits; they eat anytime they
like, live a very sedentary lifestyle and choose minimal movements whenever
possible," he said when opening the Malaysian Dieticians' Association Scientific
conference themed "Managing Diabetes: Updates For Dietetic Professionals" here.

Malaysia currently has 500 dieticians.

He said six public and one private university produced about 180 dietetic
graduates a year but more would be required to meet the country's need.

Liow said there were 288 posts of dieticians at the Health Ministry, 100 in
the private sector, 50 in universities and the rest were in the food services
and sports sectors.

Of the 288 posts of dieticians in the ministry, only 226 were presently
filled, and 65 of 137 government hospitals and special medical institutions had
no dieticians, he said.

"In our hospitals, the current ratio is approximately one dietician to 115
beds, but the ratio for the more developed countries is one dietician to 50
beds," he said.

Liow also said that the ministry had approved 11 dietician's posts for
health clinics in the various states this year.

"We will gradually add more dietician's posts in the health clinics to
provide the dietary care required, as we foresee the number of patients with
diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension rising in the future," he
said.

"If patients are not given the proper nutritional assessment, diet
prescription, dietary advice and follow up, a lot of them will end up with
diabetic complications."
-- BERNAMA