More Primary School Pupils Are Obese

KUALA PERLIS, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- More primary school pupils are obese, said Deputy Director-General of the Health Ministry (Public Health) Datuk Dr Shafie Ooyub.
He said studies jointly conducted by Obesity Association and a local university showed that more primary school pupils were getting fatter. He, however, did not give details of the study.
"This (obesity) could be due to too much intake of unhealthy food and poor eating habit," he told reporters after the launch of the national-level World Heart Day here Saturday.
He said that parents must monitor and control their children's food intake and the type of food they should take as well as to teach their children about good eating habits.
Dr Shafie said parents must also take their children out for physical exercise.
He also said school canteen operators had been asked to stop selling or serving snacks and non-nutritious food and drinks to pupils.