HEALTHY eating habits must be cultivated in children to prevent the increasing number of heart cases among Malaysians.
Leading an unhealthy lifestyle might not cause death during childhood but could cause premature death when they reached early adulthood, consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist Dr Sim Joo Seng said.
He said this at the World Heart Day celebrations at Melody Kindyland in Butter-worth, recently.
“We should cultivate healthy eating habits in children because the current healthy lifestyle campaigns are usually geared towards preventing heart disease among adults.
“By educating the young children, they indirectly become ambassadors of good eating habits. They will then go home and tell their parents what they have learnt,†he said. Dr. Sim said the current obesity trend was increasing among children.
“With their sedentary life-style and penchant for fried and greasy foods, it’s no wonder that 15% of children in Malaysia is obese.
“Our country is fast developing but our lifestyle and body is moving backwards,†he said.
Also present at the event were Bagan Jermal assemblyman Ooi Chuan Aik and Kindy-land director Leena Cheng.
“We need to control the obesity trend at a young age be-cause according to studies, children beyond 12 years old who have fat cells, will remain fat throughout their life,†said Ooi.
More than 100 children and their parents took part in the celebrations which included an aerobics session.
source: thestar.com.my
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