But the country has also secured the unfortunate title of the fattest in Southeast Asia, something the people should hang their heads in shame over.

There’s no denying that the abundance of good food, a mostly sedentary lifestyle at the laptop or on the mobile phone coupled with a lack of awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet, have led to a battle of the bulge that has reached worrying levels.

In recent years, the number of Malaysians opting for weight loss surgery as a means to heave themselves out of obesity has been on the increase.

Speaking to FMT, bariatric surgeon Dr Abdul Gafoor Mubarak, said 47% of Malaysia’s adult population is obese, which roughly translates into one in every two Malaysians.

“A sedentary lifestyle and an abundance of food contribute a lot to our high obesity rates.

“Second is the lack of understanding of obesity itself – not only is it an issue related to food and exercise, there is also a metabolic and hormonal component to it. This is where a bariatric surgeon like myself comes in as we tailor the weight loss procedure to each patient,” says Dr Gafoor.

There are three types of weight loss procedures, medical, endoscopic and surgical.

If the medical procedure is chosen, patients are given medication to suppress their appetite. The most commonly used is Saxenda, which has proven to help an obese individual reduce up to 10 kg in three months when coupled with a proper dietary regime.

Second is an endoscopic procedure in which a balloon is inserted into the patient’s stomach and then inflated. Most of the stomach is occupied by the balloon so the patient ends up consuming less food.

The surgical route can involve a sleeve gastrectomy where a large portion of the stomach is removed, leaving a small sleeve.

“This procedure has two effects; a smaller stomach would lead to less consumption of food and the second effect is the hormonal benefit.

“We cut off an area of the stomach that releases a hormone known as ghrelin which causes binge eating. Therefore, there is a reduction of ghrelin in the body and the patient does not binge eat as much,” said Dr Gafoor.

The final procedure is known as a gastric bypass in which the stomach is reduced to the size of a baseball.

So, for those who are interested in weight loss surgery, which should they consider?

“I would recommend options based on their individual problems. If they are obese and it is purely a weight problem, a sleeve gastrectomy is enough,” he said, adding that if an obese patient had health issues such as diabetes, hypertension or a fatty liver, then a gastric bypass would be the better way to go.

“Patients whose body mass index (BMI) is not more than 35, would be fitted with a balloon while those who want to lose a smaller amount of weight, can be put on medical treatment coupled with a dietary regime.”

He added, “To simplify things, if a patient is 95kg or more and of an Asian height, they are most likely eligible for bariatric surgery.”

Dr Gafoor says that more Malaysians are taking the bariatric surgery route. When he first began performing the surgery here five years ago, there would only be a few cases a year, but the number has skyrocketed to 15 to 20 cases a month.

The risk of mortality in bariatric surgery is very low, about 0.1% which translates into 1 in 1,000 or even fewer when performed in a controlled environment, Dr Gafoor said.

“Patients who seek my help have usually tried the gym and dieting but were not successful. We can actually help them lose up to 80% of their excess weight in less than a year.”

One of Gafoor’s patients is a 36-year-old with a recorded BMI of 42. Her prolonged overeating, a sedentary office job and giving birth to her second child led to a huge increase in weight.

Fortunately, she did not have underlying medical problems so a sleeve gastrectomy was recommended. She has now lost 60 kg while her BMI has gone from 42 to 32.3.

According to Dr Gafoor, her weight loss has turned her life around for the better and she is productive at work these days besides having more energy to care for her kids. She is even helping other obese patients.

In Malaysia, weight loss surgery is not covered by insurance so patients would have to make a withdrawal from their Employees Provident Fund or pay for it out of their own pocket. The surgery costs RM15,000 to RM35,000, depending on which procedure is used.

Obesity is a serious health condition that cannot be ignored, so it may be time to reflect on one’s eating habits and consult a doctor about the most suitable weight loss options available.