Over a 10-year period from 1996, the prevalence of obesity among Malaysian adults has escalated by a staggering 250%. That has put us on the top spot where we are the first among Asean countries with the highest number of obese adults. When ranked among Asian Pacific countries, we are in the sixth! That’s not something to be proud of. This is worrying as the number has more than tripled over a decade, according to the National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2006, from 4% in 1996 to 14% in 2006.

Among the many contributing factors, the one that is often overlooked is lack of sleep. Sleep time is often sacrificed when we are too caught up in trying to balance work, family and recreation. According to the Philips Index for Health and Well-being: A Global Perspective Report 2010 which was published last November, among the 800 Malaysian adults who were interviewed, 81% of them said that they did not get enough sleep at night.

We are faced with two parallel trends which is increasing in body mass index (BMI) and decreasing sleep hours. It is no coincidence as many studies have shown the correlation between the two. Study after study shows that lack of sleep (less than seven to nine hours of uninterrupted slumber) is making us pile on the pounds.

A recent research from Uppsala University shows that acute sleep loss (one hour sleep lost than the usual one night of normal sleep) influences the brain region which controls our appetite sensation thus increasing the desire to eat. In modern society where insufficient sleep is a growing problem, this somewhat explains how poor sleep habits can affect people’s risk of gaining weight in the long run.

So, reboot and rejuvenate. Get at least seven and eight hours of sleep each night to maintain good health and most importantly to combat obesity. Remember though, napping does not count as it cannot be substitute for nighttime sleep to prevent obesity.

More Malaysians are keeping awake till late to indulge in what is becoming a top national pastime – tucking it in at 24-hour eating joints.

Yes, we are practically eating round-the-clock. If you are still not convinced, take a look at the goings-on at mamak shops close to and way past midnight.

These shops have sprouted up all over the country to satisfy the cravings of Malaysians who are gorging on calorie-packed late night meals with hardly a care – and getting obese in the process.

Statistics show that the prevalence of obesity among Malaysian adults increased by a staggering 250% over a 10-year period from 1996 while the number of overweight has increased by 70%.

The National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2006 showed that two out of every five adults or 43%, were either overweight or obese and an alarming situation where the number of obese adults had more than tripled over a decade, from 4% in 1996 to 14% in 2006.

Besides that, about 38% of youngsters aged between 12 and 18 were classified as overweight.

A recent survey involving 10,000 students showed that 24% of those aged between six and 12 were either overweight or obese.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai is obviously a very worried man, with more Malaysians at risk of being seriously ill due to uncontrollable eating.

“It has to change ... an unbalanced diet and eating late at night,’’ he cautioned. “In the past, we used to have two meals. These days, we are eating five to six times daily with late-night suppers at mamak stalls,’’ he said after launching the Malaysian Council for Obesity Prevention (MCOM) here yesterday.

MCOM, which comprises 13 professional bodies and NGOs, was set up to help the government counter the problem of obesity in the country.

The minister, an avowed vegetarian, spoke of another worrying trend – meat is fast becoming a staple-diet here. A diet rich in red meat causes high cholesterol which leads to cardio-vascular disease.

“Available data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity indicates that the problem we face may be more serious than those in other countries of the region,” he added.

Being overweight and obese, he said, would lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even cancer.

According to statistics, 14.9% and 43% of Malaysians aged above 30 suffer from diabetes and hypertension respectively, with 20.7% of adults over 18 suffering from high cholesterol.

Liow said 300 nutritionists would be employed to serve at government clinics nationwide to help tackle obesity problems by creating awareness on the dangers of unhealthy eating.

Malaysian Council for Obesity Prevention (MCOM) president Jong Koi Chong echoed the minister’s concerns, saying the unhealthy eating trend was becoming a major problem.

“Our metabolic rate is very low at night making it easy for fat to accumulate in the body.

"Most 24-hour restaurants serve food that is high in fat, calories and cholesterol. Sadly, more of our young are picking up bad eating habits from adults,’’ he added.

People with diabetes who undergo cancer surgery are more likely to die in the month following their operations than those who have cancer but not diabetes, an analysis by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests.

The study, to be published in the April issue of the journal Diabetes Care, finds that newly diagnosed cancer patients -- particularly those with colorectal or esophageal tumors -- who also have Type 2 diabetes have a 50 percent greater risk of death following surgery, reports China's Xinhua news agency.

Roughly 20 million Americans -- about seven percent of the population -- are believed to have diabetes and the numbers continue to grow.

"Diabetic patients, their oncologists and their surgeons should be aware of the increased risk when they have cancer surgery," says Hsin-Chieh "Jessica" Yeh, assistant professor of general internal medicine and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and one of the study's leaders.

"Care of diabetes before, during and after surgery is very important. It should be part of the preoperative discussion."

"When people are diagnosed with cancer, the focus often is exclusively on cancer, and diabetes management may be forgotten," Yeh said, adding that this research suggests the need to keep a dual focus.

The risk picture presented by Yeh and her colleagues emerged from a systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 previously published medical studies that included information about diabetes status and mortality among patients after cancer surgery. The size of the studies ranged from 70 patients to 32,621 patients, with a median of 427 patients.

Yeh says the analysis could not say why cancer patients with diabetes are at greater risk of death after surgery.

One culprit could be infection; diabetes is a well-established risk factor for infection and infection-related mortality in the general population, and any surgery can increase the risk of infections.

Another cause may be cardiovascular compromise. Diabetes raises the risk of atherosclerosis and is a strong predictor of heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease.

"The ultimate question of whether better diabetes management in people with cancer increases their survival after surgery can't be answered by this study," she says. "More research will be needed to figure this out."

Yeh says the Johns Hopkins study is part of a growing volume of research under way at the intersection of diabetes and cancer, two leading causes of death in the United States.

Diabetes appears to increase risk for some types of cancer, and risk factors such as physical inactivity, unhealthy lifestyles and obesity are believed to be shared by both diseases.

HEART disease is a common problem for people with kidney disease, said Health Ministry senior adviser and head of nephrology services Dr Ghazali Ahmad.

Those with kidney disease were at high risk of developing hardening of the arteries resulting in heart attacks, heart failure and strokes.

“Kidney disease somehow speeds up heart disease well before it has ravaged the kidneys. And perhaps not surprising, kidney patients may die of heart disease over a period of time,” said Dr Ghazali during the health screening conducted by the Hospital Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with this year’s World Kidney Day 2010 last Friday at The Mall.

He said kidney disease accelerated heart disease to the point before needing dialysis or transplantation.

“Hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes are major risk factors for chronic kidney disease and heart disease,” said Dr Ghazali.

He added that 55% of patients in Malaysia who experienced kidney failure started of by having diabetes.

Over time, these changes will damage the filtering units in our kidneys and will slowly lose their function. Vital nutrients will be lost in the urine and waste products will start to collect in the blood, and if the kidney damage is left untreated, the kidneys may fail as a result.

“Kidney-failure patients needed to undergo costly haemodialysis treatment regularly until suitable kidneys are available,” said Dr Ghazali.

“As such. I advise the public to go for regular medical checks if they have signs of diabetes.”