Go ahead. Be the awek besar who walks in the park. Be the awek besar who brings her own bekal (lunchbox). Be the awek besar who lives to see her grandchildren.
Malaysia has the highest obesity rate in Southeast Asia. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, over 54% of Malaysian adults are overweight or obese. For women, the numbers are staggering. We are not just "besar." We are sick. Part 2: The Malaysian Lifestyle – A Perfect Storm for the Awek Besar Why is it so hard for an awek besar to lose weight in Malaysia? Because our entire social fabric revolves around high-calorie, high-sugar, high-fat food. 1. The Mamak Trap You meet your friends for teh tarik and roti canai . One roti canai is ~300 calories. One teh tarik is ~180 calories (mostly sugar). Eat two roti + one tea, and you’ve consumed 780 calories just for a "light" supper. Do this 4 times a week? You will stay besar forever. 2. The Nasi Lemak Breakfast A standard nasi lemak with sambal, telur mata, kacang, ikan bilis , and fried chicken is easily 800-1,000 calories. For breakfast. Before 10 AM. Most awek besar eat this and then wonder why they are sleepy by 11 AM. That’s a sugar crash . 3. Pasar Malam Culture Walking through the night market is a cardio workout cancelled out by ayam golek , keropok lekor , cendol , and apam balik . The portion sizes are huge, and the oil content is visible. 4. Sedentary Office Life Most Malaysian women work desk jobs. Drive to work (sitting), sit for 9 hours, drive home (sitting), scroll TikTok (lying down). The average awek besar burns less than 1,800 calories a day but consumes over 2,500. Part 3: Health Risks – When "Besar" Becomes Dangerous Let’s be clear: Body positivity is loving your body enough to keep it alive. You cannot love your body if you are giving it diabetes. awek tetek besar kene ramas hisap free
Being besar (big) is not the problem. Being besar due to a is. Go ahead
"Awek besar kene" – a phrase often tossed around in Malay street slang, typically referring to a girl with a full-figured, thick, or "curvy" build (often translated as “chubby” or “thicc”). In the context of modern Malaysian society, this phrase carries a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is celebrated in certain music videos, social media circles, and traditional kampung standards of beauty where "berisi" (well-filled) is seen as healthy. On the other hand, behind the compliment lies a silent epidemic: the clash between Malaysian lifestyle and actual metabolic health . Be the awek besar who lives to see her grandchildren
It means learning to say: "Tak nak gula, mak. Saya sayang hati saya." (No sugar, mom. I love my liver.)