Malaysian teens’ report cards to list body mass index
A man crosses a downtown Kuala Lumpur street in 2006. The number of overweight or obese people in Malaysia has doubled in the last decade, and the country now has more fat people than any other nation in Southeast Asia, a report said.
As if it didn't suck to be the fat kid in high school already.
Malaysian high schools will soon test students' body mass index and print it on their report cards. Those deemed too chubby will be "referred to government clinics" and counseled on their weight, reports Kuala Lumpur's The Star online.
Malaysian authorities are fretting that one-quarter of the nation's kids are overweight and roughly one-tenth are clinically obese. They're pairing the BMI campaign with a nationwide ouster of unhealthy food from school cafeterias. They'll also give the boot to street vendors who wait outside high schools to sell fatty, sugary delights.
Malay cuisine is marked by rich curries and stews, a heavy diet of chicken and goat and a flair for sweets. It is now Southeast Asia's fattest country, so says its health minister.
Keep in mind that American health czars would kill for Malaysia's figures: a 10 percent obese population compared to America's 26 percent.
Teenagers in Muslim-majority Malaysia can burn off calories any way they like… except for yoga. According to Malaysia's National Fatwa Council, yoga is derived from the Hinduism and could "destroy the faith of a Muslim."