Hidden Hunger in Malaysia: The Silent Crisis Affecting Our Kids 🍽️

Do you remember how I did the kids to the Kids' Health Camp at KGSC last time? Here; my previous post: Kids' Health Camp at KGSC: A Fun-Filled Family Day Out in Iskandar Puteri 👩🏻‍👦🏻‍👦🏻. While we were there, I went to a talk by the Dutch Lady team called "Hidden Hunger & Nutrition Support for Optimal Growth in Children." Guess what? Ada dua benda Mak nak tanya awak orang:

Tahu tak piramid makanan kita? Yes, from the lowest: Carbs 🍚🍞, sayur 🥦 dan buah 🍎, then protein 🍗 and fat and sweet 🎂 on top. But, hold your thought right there:

Piramid Makanan Malaysia

Nope, tidak lagi ya tuan-puan. Sekarang sayur dan buah-buahan adalah kumpulan yang paling bawah sekali (surprisingly since 2020). 

Itu perkara pertama. Yang keduanya: Tahu tak kita warga Malaysia yang kaya raya dengan makanan ni, mempunyai kadar bantut tertinggi di ASEAN, dimana 1 daripada 5 kanak-kanak terjejas. Ya, kita. Kita Malaysian ni 😱 Surprise-surprise, kan? Sebab tu laju-laju Mak baca balik Kertas Putih Kesihatan, Dasar Pemakanan Kebangsaan (DPKM) 2.0, Reviewed Nutrition Policy Options to Combat Obesity in Malaysia dan National Strategic Plan for Non-Communicable Diseases (NSP-NCD 2016- 2025). To cut your time short, let me do the analysis part and just stated laju-laju apa awak, as a parent, yang bijaksana perlu tahu.

Let's do the math below 🧮

Country	Stunting Rate (%)	Fast Food Consumption	Micronutrient Deficiency
Malaysia	20.7	High (84.4%)	High (4.9 million)
Indonesia	30.8	Moderate	Moderate
Thailand	10.5	Low	Low
Philippines	21.6	High	Moderate

Kindly note, walaupun Indonesia mempunyai kadar bantut yang lebih tinggi, gabungan fast food consumption dan kekurangan mikronutrien di Malaysia menjadikan situasi sekarang ni sangat membimbangkan. 😰 This is fact, wa cakap sama lu you guys. Kalau rajin nak baca, boleh read it more on our KKM site, Nutritionist KKM, Global Hunger Index, Khazanah Research Institute and UNICEF.

Global Hunger Index (GHI) in Southeast Asia, 2024

Like I mentioned earlier, what the heck Malaysia yang kaya raya ni tapi anak kita bantut? It was called "Hidden Hunger" tuan-puan. 

What’s the Deal with Hidden Hunger? 🤔

Hidden hunger refers to micronutrient deficiencies that often go unnoticed. Kids might look healthy but lack essential vitamins and minerals. This can lead to long-term health issues. Dalam erti kata lain; anak kita makan sampai kenyang tapi tak cukup pun nutrisi yang perlu anak ambil dalam sehari, sebab tu bantut anaknya. 

"Eh taklah.nak saya kecil sebab genetik,"

Sekali lagi kita salah. Ikut kajian, 80% pertumbuhan anak anda dipengaruhi oleh pemakanan dan genetik hanya 20%. Benar Ayah, Ibu. Sebab tu dulu Ayah Mak beriya tekankan betapa pentingnya Mak dan adik-adik makan makanan yang baik dan ambil supplement sedari kecil. Adik-adik Mak semua tinggi, Mak sorang je yang bantut terpaling rendah. Not because my Ayah didn't give me food, tapi sebab Mak dulu terlampau aktif sangat (read: food picking due to food allergy yang bermacam). #DoneBelaDiri

Berbalik pada cerita "Hidden Hunger" tadi, what is the main reason Malaysia Leads in Hidden Hunger?

1. Economic Disparity. Even with a growing economy (boleh dikatakan Malaysia has a relatively high GDP) many families can’t afford nutritious food. A staggering 97% of urban poor households feel that food prices are too high to provide healthy meals for their children. 😏 *sambil pandang politician,
2. Dietary Choice. Fast food is super popular here, cromboloni lah, kek tapak cipan la, apalah. About 84.4% of kids eat fast food regularly, while only 31.5% consume enough fruits and vegetables. This imbalance leads to nutritional deficiencies. (Source: Khazanah Research Institute lagi)
3. Micronutrient Deficiencies. Duh, tersangat obvious. It’s not just about calories; it’s about nutrients. Around 4.9 million Malaysians suffer from anemia (kurang Hb, kurang darah whatever you call it), indicating serious micronutrient deficiencies. Ni belum cakap pasal Ibu mengandung tau, boleh panjang entry kali ni kalau nak membebel.

What Can We Do About It? 

Here’s where we can flip the script. Instead of accepting hidden hunger as a norm macam merokok itu sudah difatwakan haram tapi orang masih merokok, let’s take action:

1. Educate Ourselves (which why you are here now, syabas!) and Our Kids. Teach them about nutrition and the importance of eating a variety of foods.
2. Cook Together. Make meal prep a family activity. Get your kids involved in choosing and preparing healthy meals. Kalau Mak, Mak bagi buku resepi Chef Hanielize 1 hari 1 resepi dekat anak-anak and let them plan a week menu, lepas tu baru kita pergi belanja bersama di Tesco Lotus.
3. Support Local Farmers. Buy fresh produce from local markets to ensure you’re getting nutritious options while supporting the community.
4. Have our own garden 🥕. Jom mulakan kebun sendiri. Tak perlu risau kalau ruang terhad, cuba teknik tanam menegak, hidroponik, atau cara kreatif lain. Tak ada masa? Sistem pengairan automatik only cost RM1 je dekat TT or Shopee dan baja sekarang semua sembur-sembur je. Yang capsule release pun ada. Time to go to our nearest nursery untuk dapatkan bantuan dan idea! #kebunrumah #sayursegar #anakcerdas
5. Advocate for Change. Let’s push for policies that make healthy food more affordable and accessible for everyone.

Hidden hunger is a silent crisis that affects our children’s future. By changing our eating habits and advocating for better nutrition policies, we can combat this issue together. Let’s create a healthier Malaysia for our kid sebab: they deserve nothing less. I'll always say to myself: We must raise our children to the same or a higher standard than how our parents raised us

So, what do you say? Are you ready to join the fight against hidden hunger? Dah, pergi masak sana! 🍳👩🏻‍🍳

P.S. Thanks Kensington! 🏥