Some 3.5 million Malaysian adults have been diagnosed with diabetes in 2015, the fourth highest number of diabetics in Asia.

What is more perturbing is that the number has been constantly multiplying since 2006 based on the National Health Mobility Survey, Diabetes Malaysia Honorary Secretary-General Datuk Rahimah Ahmad told Bernama here today.

In 2006 when the country's population stood at 26.3 million, 1.9 million adults were diagnosed with the disease and in 2011 the number rose to three million when the population was 28.3 million. The figure increased another 500,000 in 2015 with the population at almost 30 million.

This is a figure that is very worrying more so with an increasing number of young people suffering from diabetes which in turn affects national productivity. Apart from, this the treatment cost is also high.

Rahimah called for immediate changes to be carried out by all, particularly parents who according to her, could help their children lead a healthier lifestyle.

"We have good food here, I know, it is the most difficult thing to change for a healthier one. Besides food, please make it a daily routine to walk 45 minutes a day," she said.

Meanwhile, she said, in light of the World Diabetes Day observed worldwide every Nov 14, Diabetes Malaysia would be organising various programmes with the cooperation of other parties.

This, she said included talks, charity walks, health screening and cooking demos on healthy diets.

She added that, like the previous years, the KL Tower, here would once again to be lighted in blue on Sunday and Monday (13 and 14 Nov) as a reminder to the public on diabetes. -- BERNAMA