Malaysia schools teach precision nutrition to combat obesity

A year-long nutrition education programme in Malaysia has helped to tackle the country's growing obesity problem.

Launched on 30 August 2024, The Gene–Environment–Nutrition Education for Youth (GENEY) project ran across 15 secondary schools in the Kinta Selatan District of Perak. Students learned about diet, physical activity, nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and gut microbiome health through their school STEM clubs.

A dissemination event on 24 October 2025 led by Dr Anto Cordelia (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia) and Prof Vimal Karani (University of Reading, UK) marked the programme's completion. The event included a forum where teachers, students, and academics discussed how to implement nutrition education in schools.

Professor Vimal Karani S, Professor of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics at the University of Reading, who chaired the forum, said: "Malaysia faces a significant obesity challenge, and the GENEY programme demonstrates how precision nutrition education can empower young people to make informed choices about their health. By teaching students about how their genes, diet, and lifestyle interact, we're giving them the tools to become health leaders in their communities. The enthusiasm from students and teachers across all 15 schools shows that when we make science accessible and engaging, young people are eager to learn and take action."

The event saw students compete to create posters, short speeches, TikTok videos, and tagline contests about precision nutrition. Schools completed knowledge assessments before and after the programme to measure learning. 

UTAR (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman) partnered with the University of Reading and the District Education Office of Kinta Selatan to deliver the programme. The UTAR Knowledge Transfer Program and the University of Reading funded the initiative. The programme is the first in Malaysia and Asia to integrate precision nutrition education into school STEM club activities.