Malaysia's obesity rate has been declared the highest in Southeast Asia at 15.6%, The Ministry of Health announced. 

According to the data taken based on the 2019 World Population Review Report, the number surpassed that of Brunei which recorded 14.1%, followed by Thailand 10% and Indonesia at 6.9%. 

In relation to that, through the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) conducted in 2019, about 50.1% of the people of this country are overweight. Consequently, one in every two adults in Malaysia is suffering from obesity.

The prevalence of obesity among adults was 30.4% in 2019 and has increased dramatically since 1996. "Beginning in 1996, the percentage of obesity was only 4.4% and it more than tripled to 14% in 2006 and continued to increase to 17.7% in 2015. In 2019 it recorded 19.7%," says KKM. "The survey also showed an increase in the prevalence of diabetes among adults from 11.6% in 1996 to 15.2% in 2006 and 17.5% in 2015, while in 2019 it increased to 18.3%," said KKM. 

That being said, the highest prevalence of diabetes is detected in Negeri Sembilan which is about 33.2%, and it is then followed in Perlis by 32.6% and Pahang recorded 25.7%," the report says. 

With the amount of festive holidays in Malaysia coupled with our world famous street food delicacy that's basically a recipe for a heart attack, are we really surprised?