Page 74 - E-Book Buku Nutrisi Pemakanan

3.2 Food Consumption

The rapid demographic changes and nutrition transition towards achieving a developed economic status has inevitably
generated marked changes in dietary habits and lifestyles of Malaysians. Food industrialisation, revolution and marketing
have influenced the population’s food consumption and utilisation patterns. The mushrooming of fast food outlets in the
last two decades and uncontrolled marketing of ultra-processed food and sugary drink products, have increased the
availability of and accessibility to unhealthy food options which are associated with an increased prevalence of
diet-related NCDs.

Inappropriate food consumption of the population from As reported in NHMS 2017, the meal patterns amongst
childhood to elderly has become a national issue. The school children in Malaysia indicated that 7 in 10 children
findings of NHMS 2016 reported that exclusive regularly skipped breakfast, while 5 in 10 children regularly
breastfeeding practices of infants under 6 months had skipped dinner and lunch. The prevalence of school children
increased to 47.1% as compared to 14.5% in 2006. Minimum who had their breakfast and dinner every day has increased
meal frequency was 80.8% among children 6 to 23 months. by 2% from the findings of NHMS 2012, from 28.1% in 2012 to
Nonetheless, the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity 30.0% in 2017 for breakfast and 52.6% in 2012 to 54.6% in
was only 66.4% and needs further improvement. 2017 for dinner. About 54.8% of the school children were
taking heavy meals after dinner for one to three days of the
week.

11 National Nutrition Policy
of Malaysia 2.0