Malaysians As Young as 14 Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes

By Danial Martinus • 17 Jul 2026 in News

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Malaysians as young as 14 years old are now worryingly being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

It isn’t a good look for the country, where two-thirds of Malaysian adults are classified as overweight or obese, making it one of the most obese countries in Southeast Asia (second only to Brunei).

1,932 new cases among individuals under 30 last year

“Type 2 diabetes is no longer a disease affecting only adults. It is also affecting teenagers and young people,” Dzulkefly told the Dewan Rakyat.

According to the National Diabetes Registry, 1,926 new cases were reported among people under 30 back in 2024. In 2025, that figure rose to 1,932 cases, marking a worrying increase in type 2 diabetes diagnoses among young Malaysians.

In the first half of 2026 alone, 660 new cases have already been recorded.

It’s particularly worrying since symptoms might not always show, or individuals might not realise the “regular” health struggles they’re exhibiting have anything to do with type 2 diabetes, making it a dangerous non-communicable disease (NCD).

According to Dzulkefly, the country is actually facing a silent pandemic of NCDs, which has historically claimed around 94,000 lives annually (more than double the number of recorded deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic).

Of the 347,813 people aged between 18 and 30 that the Health Ministry’s National Health Screening Initiative screened last year, 11,751 had elevated glucose levels, while 30,170 had high blood pressure readings.

That’s quite a big percentage of people who otherwise would not have known about their health risks at all.

Sadly, a lot of Malaysian food contains a high amount of added sugar. (source: Aldrin Rachman Pradana / Unsplash)

While genetics can play a role, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get it if your family has a history of type 2 diabetes. You’re just at higher risk, so you need to be more careful about your health.

If there’s no history of type 2 diabetes in your family, your risk is only slightly lower. You still have to get in a healthy amount of exercise, eat food that’s actually good for you, and other things that may suit your lifestyle better. It’s all about moderation, of course.