PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Suriani, Ismail
AU  - Shamsuddin, Khadijah
AU  - Latif, Khalib Abdul
AU  - Saad, Hazizi A.
TI  - The effect of the Malaysian Food Guideline guidance on a group of overweight and obese women during Ramadan
AID  - 10.15537/smj.2015.1.9661
DP  - 2015 Jan 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 40--45
VI  - 36
IP  - 1
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/36/1/40.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/36/1/40.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2015 Jan 01; 36
AB  - Objectives: To determine the effect of imparting knowledge of the Malaysian Food Guideline (MFG) on a group of overweight and obese women during Ramadan.Methods: This intervention study was conducted during the months of Ramadan 2011. A group of 84 Malay Muslim women with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 were recruited. Prior to Ramadan, the respondents were educated regarding MFG, and how to monitor and record their daily food intake in a food diary. Their quantity of food intake, BMI, blood pressure (BP), blood lipid profile, and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were measured before Ramadan as a baseline. Their quantity of food intake was then measured again in the third week, whereas their BMI, BP, blood lipid profile, and FBS were determined on the fourth week of Ramadan.Results: At baseline, compared with the MFG recommendations, the intake of protein (107.5%), and milk and dairy products (133%) was higher, whereas the intake of carbohydrates (78.5%), and vegetables and fruits (44.4%) was lower. During Ramadan, carbohydrate intake, BMI, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL)-C (all p=0.000), triglyceride (p=0.005), and FBS (p=0.002) were reduced, but the TC/HDL-C ratio was increased (p=0.000).Conclusion: A month-long Ramadan fast guided by the knowledge of MFG resulted in certain positive changes in this group of respondents. These changes can be a good start for health improvement, provided that they are followed-up after Ramadan.