Malay anti-obesity drive: No Lift Day

Kuala Lumpur: In a move to promote healthy lifestyle among its health officials, Malaysia plans to introduce “no lift day” once in a week, forcing staff in hospitals and health departments to take the stairs to reach their offices. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has said that “no lift day” was meant to promote a healthy lifestyle. [caption id=“attachment_384695” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  On the go. Getty Images[/caption] “On the ’no lift day’, everyone will have to use the stairs. As we are promoting healthy lifestyles, it is only right that we take the lead and set an example,” the Star online quoted Lai as saying. Liow said the campaign would be held on a weekly basis and it could start after Ramzan. The ministry, he said, would also start rewarding employees who did not take sick leave by giving out certificates of appreciation on a yearly basis. Health director-general Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said that the “no lift day” would be implemented wherever applicable. “This is because some places in the districts have no lifts,” he said, adding that no exemption would be given unless it was for medical reasons. Hasan said currently, some of the lifts at the ministry’s disease control and engineering departments had been shut down to encourage staff members to take the stairs instead. PTI