“A growing concern” – Kuantan City Council Plans to Shut Down Lifts for 1 Day to Tackle Staff Obesity 

The Kuantan City Council (MBK) is stepping up efforts to tackle weight and obesity issues among its staff, as reported by BERNAMA.

Kuantan Mayor Datuk Razihan Adzharuddin said that out of MBK’s 1,300 employees, a significant percentage are overweight or obese, which has become a growing concern.

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MBK assigned a panel clinic to assess staff health

According to a study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on “What Causes Overweight and Obesity?”, weight gain can be influenced by things like diet, lack of exercise, environment, and genetics.

Razihan admitted that the obesity rate is pretty high and surprising, which led MBK to appoint a panel clinic to check the health status of all their staff.

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30% of their employees are obese

Razihan further explained that screenings revealed 30% of MBK employees fall into the obese category based on their Body Mass Index (BMI).

He also mentioned that they’re looking into possible solutions, like shutting down the lifts for a day to encourage employees to use the stairs.

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Also read: Health Minister: Penang’s Obesity Rate Higher Than National Average