Reported by:
Louise Kaien Too Sr3ScA
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
On the 16th of March, 2024, Kuen Cheng High School organised a seminar on healthy eating for senior-level students, led by Dr. Eugene Chooi Yuo Hao, an experienced doctor with a Master’s in Internal Medicine from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, and a Life Member of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA). Dr. Eugene has frequently been invited and interviewed by major media outlets such as AiFM, Astro AEC, and the China Press.
Dr. Eugene began the seminar by highlighting Malaysia’s alarming rates of overweight and obesity, with 30.4% of Malaysians being overweight, 19.7% obese, and even 29.8% of young children aged five to seven falling into these categories. These statistics stunned the students.
(Photo 1: Dr. Eugene speaking on stage.)
He went on to explain the health risks associated with being overweight, including high blood pressure, cancer, sleep apnoea, heart disease, and stroke. Dr. Eugene then delved into Hyperglycaemia, a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, and its symptoms of excessive thirst (polydipsia), frequent urination (polyuria), excessive eating(polyphagia), which often go unnoticed.
The discussion turned to diabetes, which Dr. Eugene attributed to dietary factors such as canned food, noodles, soda drinks, and additives. He emphasised that diabetes can lead to complications like hypertension, eye issues, stroke, and oral diseases, but can be managed through comprehensive treatment including exercise, medication, and monitoring. Dr. Eugene recommended walking at least 5000 steps a day, citing research showing its potential to extend lifespan by three years.
