More than 70 percent of Malaysian men in urban areas are obese or overweight, according to a survey revealed Thursday.

They run the risk of contracting chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart ailments, and the trend is besetting men below 55 years old, said Subang Jaya Medical Center Urology Center consultant Tan Hui Meng.

These were findings of a two-year study carried out by Malaysian Society of Andrology in collaboration with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, said Tan at a news conference here.

Random samplings were taken among male smokers and drinkers aged 40 years and above in Subang Jaya and Petaling Jaya, two areas near the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

A total of 1,046 people responded to the survey.

Source: Xinhua