Malaysia: "30% of children aged five to 17 classified as overweight or obese in 2022"

Aug 14, 2025, The Malaysian Reserve: Too young, too heavy: Malaysia’s rising childhood obesity crisis 

https://themalaysianreserve.com/2025/08/14/too-young-too-heavy-malaysias-rising-childhood-obesity-crisis 

Poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles, fuelled by screen time and lack of physical activity, contribute to this ‘epidemic’ 

LIKE any other teenager, Muhammad Mikhael Qaiser Mohd Yuzaini longs to participate in sports and physical activities. 

But the 14-year-old tires easily, neither can he stand for extended periods or handle physically demanding tasks. The main reason is his weight. 

As of early March this year, he weighed in at 103kg [227 pounds], a figure considered obese for his height of 168cm [5’6”]. 

“I am truly determined to lose weight this year because I want to live a healthier and more active life,” declared Muhammad Mikhael Qaiser, who is fondly known as Mikhael and is currently undergoing treatment to reduce his weight. 

Childhood obesity has become a global health crisis, with poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles, fuelled by screen time and lack of physical activity, contributing to this “epidemic”. 

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Malaysia has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in South-East Asia. 

Childhood obesity in Malaysia has been on a steady rise over the past 15 years, with over 30% of children aged five to 17 classified as overweight or obese in 2022. (Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child [UNICEF] and Malaysia’s Child Act 2001, a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18.) 

Meanwhile, a study titled “Prevalence of Childhood Overweight and Obesity in Malaysia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” published in November 2024, found that the prevalence of childhood overweight, obesity and excess weight in Malaysia almost doubled over a 26-year period from 1996 to 2022. 

According to WHO, in 2022, 37 million children under the age of five were overweight; and over 390 million children and adolescents aged five to 19 years were overweight, including 160 million who were living with obesity. . . .