M-Hope programme launched to tackle obesity among underprivileged community
Malaysia has been reported to be Asia’s "fattest" country, with over 50 per cent of its population overweight or obese.
According to a consultant surgical and bariatric specialist, Dr Mustafa Mohamad Taher, the few contributing factors to this is the quality of food, unhealthy lifestyle as well as long working hours.
“We are not talking about eating chocolates as a habit, we are talking about morbid obesity which leads to hypertension, diabetes as well as cancer and death. Obesity could also lead to snoring, which is not common. You can die in your sleep as it is a sleep apnea problem,” said Mustafa.
Mustafa has set up an initiative called M-Hope programme to provide bariatric surgery to 12 obese individuals from the underprivileged community.
He explained that bariatric surgery is not a shortcut for weight loss but it helps to break the chain of unhealthy lifestyle and diets. The bariatric surgery can also be seen as an approach to kickstart a new, healthier lifestyle.
“What patients need to understand before undergoing the surgery is that it is not to reduce the meal's portion intake but to increase the self-motivation for a healthier body and life.
“It can also be said as a reverse psychology, before we start with the surgery, we will ask the patients what their expectations are, so if their target is to become slimmer but they do not have the time to exercise, then we will simply not proceed with the surgery.
The idea to help the underprivileged community stemmed from his father who is also a doctor. He provides free clinal treatment to his patients every Friday and that was what inspired Mustafa to initiate the project.
M-Hope may be a legacy from his father but it is also a platform to help others.
Mustafa also said that M-Hope is not only a place to treat obesity patients but also to train doctors in bariatric surgery.
The surgery typically takes two hours to complete, however Mustafa said he has managed do it under 45 minutes.
Mustafa added he and his partners received RM348,000 from their sponsors namely Kuala Lumpur Sports, Recreation, & Health (SURE Sihat) and Cengild GI Medical Centre (CGI) to help the selected patients.
“They are also at risk to suffer from metabolic diseases such as diabetes, high blood-pressure, cardiovascular problems and heart attack.
“Patients should be given a second chance to live healthier after undergoing the surgery,” he said.
Meanwhile, veteran singer Datuk Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin also shared her experience as a bariatric surgery patient, following her bariatric surgery performed by Mustafa.
Aishah said she was motivated to lead a healthier lifestyle after she lost her father and sister due to diabetic complications. A personality known as Chef Zam was the one who introduced her to bariatric surgery.
“For me, the most important thing was to educate myself more about bariatric surgery and I would say the same thing for others, to learn and get as much knowledge about bariatric surgery before pursuing it,” she said.
She said what further motivated her to do the surgery was not wanting to be a burden to her children if she becomes sick.
“I have seen what it does to children who has to take care of overweight parents so this is my way of lessening that burden.
“The bariatric surgery also helped with my pre-diabetic condition, and so far, I am okay. I am inspired by Dr Mustafa, I don’t know how he does it,” she said.
Apart from that, she said as a singer, the surgery has helped her to improve her singing now that her diaphragm works better and that she felt more energetic compared to when she was overweight.
