By Winnie Yeoh

GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA - Sugar causes more harm than any drug but it is still considered a necessity, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) said.

Its president S.M. Mohamed Idris said that around 15 per cent of Malaysians over 30 years suffered from diabetes yet sugar was ranked among staple food such as rice and cooking oil and was a price-controlled item.

"A sugar shortage is considered a national crisis," he told a press conference yesterday.

He said sugar, which was devoid of nutrients and "acted more like a drug", was linked to over 60 ailments such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart problems, osteoporosis, kidney problems, asthma and allergies.

"Our national drink - the teh tarik - contains about six teaspoons of sugar in less than 350ml. The human body doesn't need extra sugar. The food we consume like rice, vegetables and fruits already contain natural sources of sugar," he stressed.

In Muar, State Women, Family, Health and Community Development Committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai warned that overfeeding children could led to obesity.

"I know many parents like to see their children plump and fat as they do not want the grandparents to say they did not feed the children well.

"However, overfeeding and too much of canned or bottled drinks can cause diabetes," she said when opening the state's World Diabetes Day event organised by the Johor Health Department yesterday.

Dr Robia, who was accompanied by department director Dr Mohd Khairi Yakub, said many diabetic patients had to undergo amputation and some went blind.

Later, she presented six wheelchairs from the Muar Diabetes Association to six diabetic patients from several villages in the district.

Dr Mohd Khairi said there were 200 million diabetics worldwide and the number could hit 450 million in 2030.

Noting that there were 106,000 registered diabetics in the state, he said it was vital for people to control their diet, lead a healthy life and to watch out for early symptoms such as always feeling thirsty, needing to urinate frequently, easily fatigued, loss of body weight despite regular eating, wounds that do not heal and itchiness around the genitals.

"I know the food in Johor is delicious but we must control our eating habit and cut down on sweet food," he said.