Dr Azman Ismail (PH-Kuala Kedah) said this was a simple solution that could be taken to overcome malnutrition as the country had failed in its fight against NCDs.

“This doesn’t require huge funds and you don’t need rocket science to go back to our traditional diets.

“Our grandparents and parents were on traditional diets. Whether Malay, Chinese or Indian (families), there were fewer cases of NCDs among them,” he said when debating the Supply Bill 2022 at the committee stage for the health ministry.

Azman explained that Type B malnutrition was a form of food deficiency and those suffering from it could have normal body weight and height.

He also cited experts such as British nutritionist Dr Paul Clayton, who was of the opinion that NCDs were caused by Type B malnutrition.

He said health facilities would try to detect malnutrition when a person’s weight was low and their growth stunted.

“But what is happening in Malaysia and elsewhere, in my experience as a doctor of 35 years, is that youths have good body weight and height. But when they reach their 20s, they become obese or suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes.

“This is explained by Type B malnutrition. We fail to detect those who are at high risk of getting NCDs at an early stage.”

He called on the health ministry to have a comprehensive strategy to study and understand Type B malnutrition and conduct early screenings to avoid it developing into a more serious disease.

“NCDs affect many Malaysians and billions have been lost as all our current efforts have failed. So, we need to review our approach,” he said.