KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — It is important to feed the young with nutritional food.
However, youngsters are exposed to unhealthy eating habits even in schools.
This came as no surprise as UK-based poverty and disaster relief group Oxfam International had, in its recent report, ranked Malaysia as the second fattest country in Southeast Asia and the sixth in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Malaysia was 44th in a list of 125 countries. Thailand was 42nd followed by the Philippines (67), Vietnam (71), Indonesia (83) and Laos (112). Singapore and Myanmar were not on the list.
The Malay Mail team visited six schools in the Klang Valley — SK Methodist (Petaling Jaya), SJK © Yuk Chai (Petaling Jaya), SMK Sultan Abdul Samad (Petaling Jaya), SMK St Mary (Kuala Lumpur), SMK Ideal Heights (Selayang) and SMK USJ4 (Subang Jaya) — and observed that while prices of food sold were affordable, they lacked nutritional content.
Among the food served at the canteens were deep fried nuggets and burger patties, cakes and canned drinks which had high sugar content. SK Methodist even sold small packets of junk food.
Our team observed a small plate of nasi lemak, generally priced at RM1, was served with a quarter piece of an egg, some peanuts and anchovies. There were no cucumber or any other vegetables.
Fried noodles, priced between RM1 and RM2.50, did not contain meat, but only served with bean sprouts and strips of carrot.
SMK Sultan Abdul Samad student Nurul Shameera, 16, said the food sold at her school canteen were mostly oily, rich in sugar or deep fried.
“I am forced to buy and consume such food as I do not have much of a choice,” Nurul said.
She said many of her friends would usually buy fried mee hoon or doughnuts (sold in a packet of three) which cost RM1 each as it was cheap and filling.
J. Mathura, 16, said she was forced to eat fried food due to the poor food variety at the school canteen.
“I would prefer to eat something healthier like yogurt but I have to make do with whatever is provided,” she said.
