Eating healthy: Start with govt canteens
It’s high time for Putrajaya to encourage better eating habits in its own backyard.
For years, the government has been telling Malaysians to live on a healthy diet. Through countless print, radio and television advertisements, we are told to cut down on roti canai, mee goreng, nasi lemak, fried chicken, teh tarik, syrups, burgers, french fries and so on.
Simply put, everything delicious must be eyed with caution. We are told to go instead for vegetables, fruits and cereals. And instead of frying our vegetables, we should steam or boil them. But let’s face it; it’s hard to give up those banana-leaf meals and those piping hot plates of salted eggs and squids and grilled chicken wings.
Sadly, the government does have a point. It has been reported that 17.5% of Malaysians aged 18 years and above are diabetic and that the government spends nearly RM3,000 on treating each diabetic patient each year.
Early this year, Health Minister S Subramaniam revealed that almost 18% of Malaysians are obese and another 30% overweight.
“The type of food we eat is very high-calorie, and we have to concede we eat more food than we need,” he said in an interview with Al-Jazeera, adding that a sedentary lifestyle was also a contributing factor.
The message from the government is loud and clear: we are an unhealthy nation and we need to adopt healthier eating habits.
However, the government itself is not doing enough to promote healthy eating habits within its own offices. Those who have been inside government buildings know that many of the cafeterias there serve dishes that the government considers unhealthy.
It is the same situation in many government schools, where good eating habits should be nurtured. Worse still, in government hospitals, of all places, the food available for visitors and even patients are worrying.
The Malacca General Hospital, from where this article was written, is a prime example, as is the Selayang Hospital in Selangor. The cafeterias in these two hospitals offer fried chicken, masak lemak, curries, waffles, teh tarik and many other unhealthy dishes.
This is not to say that the government should rid its cafeterias of all unhealthy food, as people must be given their choices. However, it’s high time for it to encourage better eating habits in its own backyard by providing healthier alternatives.
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