A few years ago, a study suggested that Malaysians are among the laziest pedestrians in the world, which is partly why we are on the list of the most obese countries. This is not necessarily new information to us but it can be quite shocking to foreigners when they come to visit and see the lifestyle we live.
A British man known as Alex Wanders on social media has been travelling around Southeast Asia, with Malaysia being his latest destination. In one of his most recent videos, the foreigner compared the country’s food and lifestyle to Vietnam’s, and here’s what he discovered:
“I travelled from the skinniest country in Asia to the fattest country in Asia, and the differences are shocking,” he said during the introduction of his TikTok post. Alex went on to explain that Vietnam has an obesity rate of 2%, noting that the country prioritises a very healthy lifestyle compared to Malaysia. The content creator claimed that Vietnam’s food is fresh, low in calories, packed with vegetables, and full of lean proteins. In addition to the meals, the people of Vietnam incorporate exercise into their daily lives.
“If you head to the beach at 6am, you’d see crowds of people running, jogging, and doing yoga,” he added. This was in stark contrast to Malaysia, where processed and unhealthy food can be found on every corner. “The obesity rate here is insane [at 54%]. The diet in Malaysia is the complete opposite [of Vietnam]. Fast food, sugary drinks, and processed meals are everywhere. They even add sugar to salads,” the tourist said, before adding that the country is not as walkable as others he has visited.
This opinion is not entirely baseless, as Malaysians have previously expressed disagreement with another foreigner who thought Kuala Lumpur was a very walkable city. Some have also lamented over the poor urban planning after a few incidents around the city went viral earlier this year.
One might expect Malaysians to be upset by Alex’s discovery, but many actually agreed with his statement. Some commented that they were eating unhealthy meals while watching his video, while others joked about being called out by the foreigner. Alex is still in the country, so we look forward to hearing about his overall experience in Malaysia. May he have a memorable one, at the very least.
Watch his comparison video below:
@alexwandersyt Travelling from the skinniest to the fattest country 🤯 #vietnam #malaysia #food
