Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review

Owing to economic transition and urbanisation, nutrition problems in Asia have shifted from malnutrition to over-nutrition. As a result, the obesity rate in Asia is rising at an alarming rate. This review aims to provide an overview of the key factors and current strategies of this phenomenon in Asi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Goh, Wu-Dong-Yan, Chong, Li-Choo, Kuan, Yau-Hoong, Mohamed Noor Mohamed Ismail
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2020
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14757/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14757/1/ARTIKEL%203.pdf
_version_ 1848813634666364928
author Goh, Wu-Dong-Yan
Chong, Li-Choo
Kuan, Yau-Hoong
Mohamed Noor Mohamed Ismail,
author_facet Goh, Wu-Dong-Yan
Chong, Li-Choo
Kuan, Yau-Hoong
Mohamed Noor Mohamed Ismail,
author_sort Goh, Wu-Dong-Yan
building UKM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Owing to economic transition and urbanisation, nutrition problems in Asia have shifted from malnutrition to over-nutrition. As a result, the obesity rate in Asia is rising at an alarming rate. This review aims to provide an overview of the key factors and current strategies of this phenomenon in Asia from the socio-economic point of view as well as to provide insights of possible ways to overcome these issues by analysing works of literature published between 2000 and 2018. Diet-related factors such as energy intake surplus, overconsumption of processed food, fat and sugar are among the largest contributors to this epidemic. The underlying factor of the surplus of energy intake was due to socioeconomic and cultural factors such as improved purchasing power and deep-rooted cultural associations of obesity with prosperity. Efforts have been put in by governments, NGOs, and the food industry to cope with obesity. These include the implementation of dietary guidelines, organisation of public health campaigns, enforcement of nutrition labelling on food products, application of fiscal policy, and marketing ban of energy-dense nutrient-poor (EDNP) food products to children. However, these collective efforts have not been effective. Therefore, authorities should seek long term alternative ways such as food reformulation and ‘food zoning’ to create a conducive environment that encourages a healthy diet.
first_indexed 2025-11-15T00:21:19Z
format Article
id oai:generic.eprints.org:14757
institution Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-15T00:21:19Z
publishDate 2020
publisher Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling oai:generic.eprints.org:147572020-06-22T07:49:53Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14757/ Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review Goh, Wu-Dong-Yan Chong, Li-Choo Kuan, Yau-Hoong Mohamed Noor Mohamed Ismail, Owing to economic transition and urbanisation, nutrition problems in Asia have shifted from malnutrition to over-nutrition. As a result, the obesity rate in Asia is rising at an alarming rate. This review aims to provide an overview of the key factors and current strategies of this phenomenon in Asia from the socio-economic point of view as well as to provide insights of possible ways to overcome these issues by analysing works of literature published between 2000 and 2018. Diet-related factors such as energy intake surplus, overconsumption of processed food, fat and sugar are among the largest contributors to this epidemic. The underlying factor of the surplus of energy intake was due to socioeconomic and cultural factors such as improved purchasing power and deep-rooted cultural associations of obesity with prosperity. Efforts have been put in by governments, NGOs, and the food industry to cope with obesity. These include the implementation of dietary guidelines, organisation of public health campaigns, enforcement of nutrition labelling on food products, application of fiscal policy, and marketing ban of energy-dense nutrient-poor (EDNP) food products to children. However, these collective efforts have not been effective. Therefore, authorities should seek long term alternative ways such as food reformulation and ‘food zoning’ to create a conducive environment that encourages a healthy diet. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2020-02 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14757/1/ARTIKEL%203.pdf Goh, Wu-Dong-Yan and Chong, Li-Choo and Kuan, Yau-Hoong and Mohamed Noor Mohamed Ismail, (2020) Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review. Sains Malaysiana, 49 (2). pp. 249-259. ISSN 0126-6039 http://www.ukm.my/jsm/malay_journals/jilid49bil2_2020/KandunganJilid49Bil2_2020.html
spellingShingle Goh, Wu-Dong-Yan
Chong, Li-Choo
Kuan, Yau-Hoong
Mohamed Noor Mohamed Ismail,
Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review
title Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review
title_full Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review
title_fullStr Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review
title_short Increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in Asia: a systematic review
title_sort increased obesity rate due to economic transition and industrialisation in asia: a systematic review
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14757/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14757/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14757/1/ARTIKEL%203.pdf