PUTRAJAYA – Of the total 1,304 Covid-19 deaths recorded up to Wednesday, 86.3%, or 1,126 fatalities, involved patients with a history of comorbid diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and the elderly, said Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
The health minister said such non-communicable diseases are related to one’s diet.
The risk of comorbid death is high when there is a coronavirus infection, he said when launching the state-level Malaysia Nutrition Month, as well as the MyChoice initiative, today.
In conjunction with the event, said Dr Adham, the ministry has come up with a new food pyramid and diet guide containing significant changes.
Fruits and vegetables are now at the base of the pyramid, replacing carbohydrate, comprising food items like rice, noodle, bread, cereal and potatoes, he said.
“This shows the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables in greater amounts. If possible, at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits daily.”
On MyChoice, he said it is an initiative to encourage the food service industry to prepare meals high in nutrients. – Bernama, April 9, 2021
