Category: Health EN

On 25 February 2026, a group of 27 students (15 females & 12 males) and 6 teachers, including the headmaster from SK Jelutong school, visited the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP). The visit was organised as an educational visit to create awareness among students from Young Doctors Club about obesity and diabetes, as well as to help them understand the causes, health impacts, and ways...

Your heart is not just a symbol of love – it is a high-performance muscular pump that beats about 100,000 times a day, moves nearly 2,000 gallons of blood daily, and never takes a break. Unlike other muscles, it cannot “rest” when overworked. Its performance depends entirely on how you live – daily habits determine long-term cardiac output, rhythm stability, vascular health, and disease...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls upon consumers to avoid crowded, enclosed and poorly ventilated spaces, as these increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB) transmission. This is in view of the recent resurgence of TB in Malaysia. TB is an airborne infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It most commonly affects the lungs but can affect almost any...

Today, 4 March, is World Obesity Day. On this occasion, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls on Malaysians to practise a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of obesity, which is increasing at an alarming rate. World Obesity Day is a global initiative that focuses on raising awareness of the severity of obesity, its health risks and preventive actions. It also recognises the root...

Roses account for 66% of Ecuador's total flower output, a figure that propelled the country in 2024 to become the world’s third-largest exporter, with more than 2 billion stems sold annually, behind only the Netherlands and Colombia. However, Ecuadorian scholars and campaigners question whether the economic opportunities it offers can really secure producers’ futures – or perhaps trap them...

Most people eat twice as much salt as the 1 teaspoon per day recommended by WHO, putting them at higher risk of heart disease and other medical conditions. As much as 70% of that salt is hidden within processed foods and condiments. Salt is a seasoning that can flavour food and act as a preservative. It is an ingredient commonly added by food manufacturers to processed food products – a chief...

So you’ve seen all the warnings about how smoking is so bad for you. But here’s the question: Why? What is it about smoking that is so dangerous? A video, “Why Give Up Smoking” by DocUnlock explains why (transcript below). What's inside a cigarette? A cigarette is usually made up of 3 parts: First there is the cigarette filter, this is also known as the cigarette butt. Then there is the...

My mother has always had one unbreakable rule: no outdoor shoes inside the house. It didn't matter who you were – family member, neighbour, or guest – you had to take them off before crossing the threshold. As a child, I thought it was just one of her many quirks. But as I've grown older (and wiser), I've come to understand that this wasn't about obsessive tidiness. It was about health,...

Tattoos have become more common today. Trend reporting from industry and lifestyle sources suggests designs are becoming increasingly large, colourful and complex. But less attention has been paid to what’s in the inks being injected into people’s skin. In a study published on January 19 in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, researchers analysed tattoo inks available in Australia and found...

For centuries, human beings have altered their appearance to reflect identity, culture, or creativity. From ancient henna to modern hair dyes, we’ve sought ways to express who we are. Yet science is revealing that some of these practices may come with risks we cannot ignore – such as the increased likelihood of developing breast cancer linked to certain chemical dyes. A large US study led by...