The state, The New Straits Times reported today, has recorded the second highest prevalence of obesity in Malaysia.

It comes in second after Putrajaya, the nation’s administrative capital.

Malacca Health Director Ghazali Othman revealed that the National Health and Morbidity Survey conducted last year by the Health Ministry found that 36 per cent of the state’s population was overweight.

The survey also indicated that about 313,000 out of the 870,000 of those who lived in Malacca were classified as obese.

This meant that for every 10 locals, approximately three or four individuals were obese.

Ghazali reminded Malaccans that being the “runner up” in the “obesity category” was not something to be proud about and advised locals to pay more emphasis on their health.

“I would like to emphasise that food is not the issue here. It is how we burn the calories from our consumption that matters.

“Some people look at Malacca as a food haven. But at the same time, we also have a lot of recreational facilities for big eaters to get rid of their calories,” he was quoted by the English daily as saying.

He added that the state had the best golf courses in the country, a well-equipped stadium, fields for recreational activities, Olympic-sized swimming pools and equestrian facilities that could be utilised by the heftier members of the public so they could become leaner, fitter and healthier.