Body mass index to be listed in report card, unhealthy food banned in school canteens

PETALING JAYA: Students’ body mass index (BMI) will be listed in their report cards while unhealthy food will be banned in school canteens effective immediately, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said these were new measures to help parents monitor their children’s health.

“By listing students’ BMI on their report cards, parents have the means to know whether their child’s weight is ideal, overweight or obese,” he told reporters here Sunday, adding that parents could obtain advice from clinics on how to maintain a healthy weight for their children.

He said Malaysia was currently ranked sixth amongst Asian countries and first in Southeast Asia for a high percentage of obese citizens.

“Thirty percent of Malaysians are overweight, while another 30% are obese. That’s 60%,” he said, adding that ministry data estimated around 1.7 million Malaysians aged 18 and above to be obese.

Liow said the move to list BMI in report cards was decided at the Cabinet Committee on Non-communicable Diseases chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on April 4.

“We have identified unhealthy canteen food such as soft drinks and others with high sugar content. These types of food are now banned from being sold,” he said.

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