Malaysia’s nationwide diabetes problem is no secret, with more than 15 percent of Malaysian adults reportedly having the disease.
However, what makes the epidemic even more worrisome is that even young children are getting diagnosed with the condition.
On 12 Sept, a woman in Malaysia took to Threads to raise concern about a three-year-old who allegedly suffers from diabetes.
According to her, the chubby child, whom her toddler’s nanny also takes care of, suffers from clogged blood vessels and has to visit the hospital every week for check-ups.
The woman alleged that the child’s mother gives the nanny two packs of processed food every two weeks.
As a result, the child was fed chicken nuggets and hotdogs as his “main food” every day, frustrating even his nanny.
Source: wutzkoh on Canva
“Can you imagine that this kid has never eaten rice?” the woman wrote.
The OP clarified that she is not judging the child’s mother, but has learned a lesson from her experience.
She believes it is not the child’s fault that he does not eat natural foods, but his parents’ if they fail to control his diet and say no to him when he asks for processed food.
“Being a parent is not only about raising a child but also about raising them well,” wrote the OP.
While there were a few netizens who criticised the mother and called her a bad parent, most gave suggestions on how she could improve her child’s diet.
One said that she should choose healthier frozen foods, while another proposed tricking the toddler into eating healthier by making their food from scratch using nutrient-rich ingredients.
Translation: You can give your child nuggets and sausages, but you can make them yourself. Not the ones sold at the market. Put vegetables, chicken, and rice in them. Make them into nuggets and sausages.
Source: Threads
Many also empathised with the mum and gave her the benefit of the doubt.
One commenter speculated that perhaps the mother may not have the time to prepare healthier food for her child.
A mum of a child with autism also shared that it can be a challenge to feed some kids healthy food due to their sensory issues.
Translation: You really don’t know what the mother has done for the child..for me who has experience raising a child with mild autism and a picky eater, everyone around me sees that I cook deliciously and I’m good at cooking but at the same time my child refuses all food..he even eats rice with chicken skin 1-2 times a week, mostly he requests nuggets and fries because he has sensory problems..
Source: Threads
Furthermore, one netizen pointed out that some babies and children get diabetes not because of their diet, but simply due to their genetics.
Translation: But I’ve heard doctors say that babies/children who have diabetes are due to genetics, not diet.
Source: Threads
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Image Professionals GmbH on Canva, muangsatun on Canva, both for illustration purposes only.