Obesity and overweight issues could undermine Malaysia’s competitiveness

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-213
Author(s):  
Hasliza Hassan ◽  
Abu Bakar Sade ◽  
Muhammad Sabbir Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Obese People ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose The Malaysian lifestyle has been undergoing changes over time. With better socio-economic conditions, Malaysians tend to consume more food today than they did previously. Excessive intakes of high calorie foods combined with little daily physical activity have led to increased numbers of overweight and obese people in the population. The purpose of this paper is to compare the incidence of overweight and obesity in the population in Malaysia with other Southeast Asian countries. Design/methodology/approach Data for this research were based on secondary data of average weight, overweight and obese people for populations in the Southeast Asian countries. The analysis for this research focused on the population in Malaysia and compared it with populations from neighboring countries. Findings The population in Malaysia was ranked the second highest in the number of overweight and obese people in the Southeast Asian region. In addition, the rate of increase overweight and obese people in the population of Malaysia was found to be the highest in the region. Since the percentage of overweight and obese people had increased consistently from 2010 to 2014, there was a high possibility that the momentum would continue into the following few years. Originality/value Being overweight and obese was not desirable by the majority of people as it could lead to various health diseases and psychological problems. Unfortunately, the percentage of overweight and obese people in Malaysia seems to be increasing. Improved socio-economic conditions have increased the amount of food normally consumed by people. Although many people were found to be aware of the negative impact of being overweight and obese, the majority of them did not seem to take the initiative to reduce their body weight. This research is expected to create awareness of the alarming rate of increase in the number of overweight and obese people in Malaysia in order to encourage a healthier lifestyle.

scholarly journals Current Progress and Future Directions in the Double Burden of Malnutrition among Women in South and Southeast Asian Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuhin Biswas ◽  
Nick Townsend ◽  
R J Soares Magalhaes ◽  
Md Saimul Islam ◽  
Md Mehedi Hasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Annual Rate ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
The South ◽  
Average Annual Rate ◽  
Double Burden ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Double Burden Of Malnutrition ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

ABSTRACT Background In order to combat the double burden of malnutrition the UN General Assembly has established under its Sustainable Development Goal-2 (SDG2) a set of nutritional targets that member countries need to achieve by 2030, with the goal of eradicating all forms of malnutrition worldwide. Objectives In order to understand progress towards this goal, we reviewed recent trends and forecast future trends to examine the likelihood of South and Southeast Asian countries achieving the SDG2 target by 2030. We also considered how inequalities based on wealth, education, and urban/rural dwelling influence the current and future prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity. Methods We used population-representative cross-sectional data from the Demographic and Health Survey, conducted between 1996 and 2016, for 8 South and Southeast Asian countries. We used a Bayesian linear regression model to estimate trends and to forecast the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity by 2030. Results The overall pooled prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in the South and Southeast Asian region was 22.9%, 21.3%, and 8.6%, respectively. Regional average annual rate of reduction and average annual rate of increase for the period 1996 to 2016 were 1.3% and 8.4% for underweight and overweight/obesity respectively. We estimate that if current trends continue as projected, the proportion of underweight and overweight/obesity will be 6.6% (95% CI: 3.9%, 11.1%) and 76.6% (95% CI: 64.3%, 85.7%) in 2030, respectively. Specific projections based on the wealth index suggested that by 2030 the prevalence of underweight would be highest among the poorest sector of society, and overweight and obesity highest among the richest sector. Conclusions We found that despite progress in reducing underweight, nearly two-thirds of the South and Southeast Asian population will be overweight or obese by 2030. Our findings suggest that countries in this region will not achieve the 2030 SDG2 target.

Comparative practices of food label claims from US, EU and selected Southeast Asian countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 530-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
May O. Lwin
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Food Label ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to fulfil gaps in knowledge regarding food packaging practices in Southeast Asia by examining the informational content of food labels on a variety of packaged foods. Design/methodology/approach – Using local and imported food products found in supermarkets in Singapore, a quantitative content analysis of food label claims in a wide range of packaged food products was conducted. A codebook was developed to capture the attributes of the food labels and claims, content categories, product names, food categories, sources of manufacture and countries of brand origin. The three main regions of analysis of country of manufacture were the USA, European Union (EU) and Southeast Asia. Findings – Analysis of food products manufactured in five Southeast Asian countries revealed the presence of various claims in food products, and a number of specific claims exceeded the percentages found in products from the USA or EU. The results showed that a significant proportion of products from Southeast Asian countries display nutrient content and nutrient function claims, as well as general marketing claims and non-nutrient claims. However, there were variations in practice amongst the five Southeast Asian countries. Research limitations/implications – The sample was limited in being collected from one geographic location. Future research needs to expand data collection both geographically and longitudinally. Practical implications – The findings are valuable for the national health authorities in addressing policies on food package labelling, and homogenization efforts pertaining to regional/international labelling policies. These in turn could influence food marketing practices. Social implications – The findings are useful in crafting educational programming and guidelines for health and nutrition education. Originality/value – This research is the first to explore food labelling practices in multiple Southeast Asian countries and compare them cross-sectionally with EU and US practices.

Gender and young consumer ethics: an examination in two Southeast Asian countries

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fandy Tjiptono ◽  
Denni Arli ◽  
Warat Winit
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Consumer Ethics ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Unethical Behaviors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose This study aims to examine and compare ethical perceptions between genders on various potentially unethical consumer situations in Indonesia and Thailand. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted by distributing self-administered questionnaires to a convenience sample of university students in two large cities in Indonesia and Thailand. There are 278 respondents in Indonesia 158 participants for Thailand. Most respondents aged between 18-24 years. Findings Indonesian youths were found to believe that “passively benefiting”, “questionable action” and “downloading” are more unethical than Thai youths do. The relationship between gender and consumer ethics is not consistent in Indonesia and Thailand. Female youths in Indonesia tended to be more ethical in four out of seven dimensions of Consumer Ethics Scales than their counterparts, while no gender differences were found in Thailand. Practical implications The results show the different consumer ethics between Indonesia and Thailand that may reflect cultural variations, where Indonesia is more multicultural than Thailand. The mixed findings of the gender differences may suggest that there are no intrinsic gender differences in consumer ethics. Further, the results also provide implications for educators and public policy makers in both countries to encourage more active roles played by universities in building ethical sensitivity among future leaders. Originality/value This is one of the few studies examining the impact of gender on consumer ethical behavior in Southeast Asian countries, where various unethical behaviors (e.g. buying and using pirated products) are prevalent.

scholarly journals Financial Development and Renewables in Southeast Asian Countries—The Role of Organic Waste Materials

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8748
Author(s):  
Thu Thuy Nguyen ◽  
Van Chien Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Financial Development ◽  
Organic Waste ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Trade Openness ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Waste Materials ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Cointegration Tests ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

This paper aims to fill the existing gap by investigating the linkage between organic waste materials, financial development and renewables in Southeast Asia; this is the very first study covering this area. Using panel data of ten economies in this area in the period of 1990–2016 and estimating the advanced regression method in statistics of pooled mean group (PMG) estimates, the paper aims to examine the panel unit root tests in the first and second generations, as well as cointegration tests followed by Pedroni, Kao, and Westerlund tests; the results demonstrate that there is a negative impact from financial development on renewables. Further, biofuel processing is consistent with renewables that are predominantly made from organic matter and wastes. In addition, biofuel sources can be proxied by three factors, namely agricultural land, forest land, and number of heads of cattle livestock. The agricultural land has a negative and statistically significant impact on renewables while cattle livestock has a positive effect in the long run. Additionally, a higher level of trade openness has a lower level of renewables in the case of Southeast Asian countries.

scholarly journals Governance and sustainability in Southeast Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Tran ◽  
Eshani Beddewela ◽  
Collins G. Ntim
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Governance Reform ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between a diverse set of corporate governance (CG) mechanisms and corporate sustainability disclosure (CSD) in Southeast Asian countries under national stakeholder reform. Design/methodology/approach Data analysis is based on 171 of the largest companies across six Southeast Asian countries using a 30-item CSD measure. Findings The authors find that there are wide variations in the levels of CSD across the countries. The findings indicate that board size, board gender diversity, block ownership and the presence of a sustainability committee are significant determinants of CSD. Additionally, whilst more stringent stakeholder governance reform motivates firms to publish more sustainability information, it fails to influence the effectiveness of the board of directors in promoting CSD. Practical implications Findings of this study highlight the essential role internal governance structure plays in monitoring corporate actions and enabling corporations to reduce their legitimacy gap. The findings further encourage regulators and policymakers to question, with utmost importance, the effectiveness of stakeholder reform in making significant organisational changes. Originality/value There is a dearth of studies that examine the CG-CSD nexus in relation to specific institutional characteristics. Existing studies mainly focus on a single country with similar institutional environments and thus limiting the ability to understand the “context specificity” of sustainability content development. This paper provides an overview of stakeholder reform in Southeast Asian countries and empirically substantiates the relationship between CG and CSD across six countries undergoing such reforms in the region.

Determinants of revenue efficiency of Islamic banks

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadzlan Sufian ◽  
Fakarudin Kamarudin
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Malmquist Productivity Index ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Profit Efficiency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Revenue Efficiency ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the revenue efficiency of Islamic banks in the Southeast Asian countries. Specifically, the empirical analysis comprises Islamic banks operating in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. This paper also seeks to investigate the potential internal (bank-specific) and external (macroeconomic and industry-specific) factors which influence the revenue efficiency of Islamic banks operating in Southeast Asian countries. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used a whole gamut of domestic and foreign Islamic banks operating in Southeast Asian countries, namely, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei during the period of 2006-2011. The level of revenue efficiency is computed by using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. Following the procedure set in Banker and Natarajan (2008) and Gujarati (2002), this paper use a panel regression analysis framework based on the ordinary least square and generalized least square methods to examine the potential determinants of revenue efficiency of the Islamic banks in the sample. In addition, this paper also use a battery of parametric (t-test) and non-parametric (Mann–Whitney [Wilcoxon] and Kruskall–Wallis) tests to examine the difference in the revenue efficiency of the domestic and foreign Islamic banks. Findings – The results indicate that the level of revenue efficiency on the domestic Islamic banks is higher compared to that of their foreign Islamic bank counterparts. The empirical findings seem to suggest that revenue efficiency has greater influence on the profit efficiency levels. It was found that the bank size, asset quality, capitalization, liquidity and management quality significantly influence the revenue efficiency of domestic Islamic banks operating in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei during the period under study. Research limitations/implications – Due to its limitations, the present study may be extended in variety of ways. First, if information on input prices is available, further analysis could be performed to investigate the cost, technical and allocative efficiency. Second, interested researchers may apply the Malmquist Productivity Index method to examine the sources of total factor productivity changes of Islamic banks operating in the ASEAN countries. Third, to obtain more robust results, empirical findings from the present study could be compared to the results derived from improved statistical methods, i.e. Bootstrap DEA. Practical implications – The empirical findings of this paper clearly call for regulators and decision-makers to review the revenue efficiency of banks operating in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Islamic banking sectors. The results could also provide better information and guidance to the managers of Islamic banks, as they need to have a clear understanding on the impact of revenue efficiency on the performance of their banks. The empirical findings of this paper may also have implications for investors whose main focus is to gain higher profit from their investments. Originality/value – The paper is the first to provide empirical evidence on the determinants of revenue, cost and profit efficiency of Islamic banks operating in Southeast Asian countries.

Sustainable property development by Southeast Asian property companies

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Najib Razali ◽  
Norhidayah Md. Yunus ◽  
Ainur Zaireen Zainudin ◽  
Janice Lee Yim Mei
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Property Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Property Companies ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the sustainability levels in terms of sustainability practices amongst public-listed property companies in Southeast Asia. Design/methodology/approach The websites and annual reports for each company were assessed to determine the level of sustainability practices amongst property companies in Southeast Asia. Their sustainability strategies were then rigorously assessed by using a scorecard which assesses sustainability levels based on related issues. Findings The results show that green or sustainable property development in Southeast Asian countries remains at a moderate level. There is still much room for improvement to enhance the level of green attributes in property development. Research limitations/implications This paper only assesses property development companies in five Southeast Asian countries; namely, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Originality/value Given the increasingly significant sustainability issues – especially amongst international property development players, this paper attempts to deliver better informed investment and decision-making ideas for sustainable property developments.

Does productivity of Islamic banks endure progress or regress?

Humanomics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakarudin Kamarudin ◽  
Chiun Zack Hue ◽  
Fadzlan Sufian ◽  
Nazratul Aina Mohamad Anwar
Keyword(s):  
Banking Sector ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Malmquist Productivity Index ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
Islamic Banking ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Productivity Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose This paper aims to explore the level of productivity of Islamic banks specifically in selected Southeast Asian Countries from the period 2006 to 2014. Besides, this study also investigates the potential determinants of bank-specific characteristics and macroeconomic conditions that may influence the productivity of banking sector. Design/methodology/approach The present study gathers data on the 29 Islamic banks from Southeast Asian countries, namely, Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. The productivity level of the Islamic banks is evaluated using the data envelopment analysis-based Malmquist productivity index method. The authors then used a panel regression analysis framework based on the ordinary least square to identify potential determinants. Findings The domestic and foreign Islamic banks have exhibited progress in total factor productivity change solely attributed to the increase in efficiency change (EFFCH) which were mainly managerial rather than scale related. Foreign-owned banks have been slightly more productive compared to their domestic-owned bank counterparts, attributed to a higher EFFCH but insignificantly different. Furthermore, capitalisation, liquidity and world financial crisis determinants have significantly influenced productivity level of Islamic banks. Originality/value The study on the productivity of Islamic banking is still in its formative stage. To date, very limited study has been conducted to examine the productivity level in Southeast Asian, which is a strong regional hub for Islamic banking. This study intends to fill the gaps with a specific focus on the productivity level, specifically narrowing down to Southeast Asian countries in the domestic and foreign Islamic banking sector.

scholarly journals Understanding political influences on Southeast Asia's development experience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dwight Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Political Instability ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

PurposeThe per capita GDP of the nine countries of Southeast Asia varies from less than $5,000 to over $97,000. One reason some have higher income than others, notably Singapore and Malaysia, relates to development that occurred prior to the Second World War. Using a comparative political economy approach or methodology, the essay concludes that the major reason for the variation was that six of the countries experienced major sustained disruptions resulting from extreme politics and political instability. These included wars, kleptocratic governments and leaders more interested in ideology or foreign policy than economic growth.Design/methodology/approachThe four countries that avoided these extremes (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and plus tiny Brunei) have the highest per capita incomes today. Those that have had long periods of war and political instability but have also had substantial periods of growth (Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines) come next. The two comparatively poor countries of Cambodia and Laos suffered long periods of war and were the least developed to begin with. Myanmar's military rulers through civil wars and kleptocratic mismanagement of the economy have prevented growth that involved benefits for anyone other than the military and its cronies for most of its post-independence history.FindingsDuring the periods when the Southeast Asian countries enjoyed stable environments for investment, they have all grown rapidly faster than most of the countries in Africa and Latin America, but except for Singapore, slower than the high performing Northeast Asian countries. Other kinds of political goals reduced total factory productivity and the efficacy of investment, thus slowing growth below its full potential.Originality/valueThe author is not aware of any essay that has discussed economic growth for the nine Southeast Asian countries in this way.

Battling corruption in Malaysia: What can be learned?

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 549-555
Author(s):  
Nur Shafiqa Kapeli ◽  
Nafsiah Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Corruption Perception Index ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Corruption Perception ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose Corruption is a serious problem in Southeast Asian countries. Based on the average ranking of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, Malaysia is ranked as the second least corrupt country among Southeast Asian countries. However, this country is still facing problems in its fight against corruption, in which efforts undertaken to prevent corruption have been said to be “unsatisfactory.” The purpose of this paper is hence to examine previous literature for the possible factors affecting the success of anti-corruption efforts in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzes previous studies conducted on Malaysia’s experiences in its fight against corruption. Findings The findings of this paper indicate four attributes that lead to the failure of anti-corruption efforts in Malaysia. Originality/value This paper will be useful for scholars, policymakers and anti-corruption practitioners who are interested in Malaysia’s experiences in fighting corruption.

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