JAKARTA: More parents are showing increased awareness about and interest in the dangers of harmful foods and drinks following viral posts earlier this week alleging that cases of kidney disease were rising among children across the country.
The posts, which featured photographs of children receiving dialysis treatment at Cipto Mangunkusumo Central General Hospital (RSCM) in Central Jakarta, incited public concern about the unhealthy diets and lifestyles among Indonesian children.
Ella, a 53-year-old mother of three who lives in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, said she was now double-checking what she bought for her kids to eat at home.
“As a parent, naturally I feared that my children might have the same experience as the kids at RSCM,” Ella said on Tuesday (July 30), adding that her 14-year-old daughter Zia had been hospitalised previously for a diagnosed intestinal issue due to unhealthy eating habits.
She subsequently started to check the ingredient label on packages of snacks and soft drinks, and found that the majority seemed to have minimal nutritional benefits and contained high levels of potentially harmful ingredients like artificial flavour, added sugar and trans fat.
“When I looked at [the labels on] some processed foods and drinks, they contained a high level of sugar,” remarked Ella.
“Even packaged milk, which I always bought for my kids when they were still young.”
Added sugar and trans fat have been linked to diabetes and hypertension, major causes of kidney disease, which is generally treated with dialysis, a procedure that replicates the natural function of kidneys in removing waste and excess fluids from the blood.
Indonesia is seeing a worrying rise in incidences of diabetes in children, and the Indonesian Paediatric Society reported in January 2023 that cases of paediatric diabetes had increased 70 times compared to 2010.
Meanwhile, a paediatric specialist at RSMC made assurances in a video message last week that it had not seen an increase in the number of paediatric dialysis patients.
Rather, it tended to receive a larger number of such patients relative to other medical facilities because “RSCM is the national referral hospital for kidney disease”, paediatric nephrologist Eka Laksmi Hidayati explained in the hospital’s Instagram account (@rsmc.official).
Riri Andriani, who lives in Depok, West Java, also said she was trying to be more attentive about the processed foods and drinks she bought for her children.
“I used to be quite lenient in buying junk food, but the news has improved my awareness to impose stricter rules about [consuming] soft drinks and instant noodles at home so my kids won’t have them that often,” Riri said, expressing hope that taking such precautions would be enough to prevent issues with her children’s health.
Toto Sudargo, a nutritionist and lecturer from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the prevalence of hypertension and kidney disease in children were generally the result of a gradual change in people’s eating habits.
“People, including children, have shifted away from vegetables and organic produce to instant foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt, all of which overburden the kidney and cause it to fail,” he explained.
Despite seeming benign, processed foods gradually impact the body and ultimately, human health.
“All the fat, sugar and salt build up in the body for months until the person realises what’s happening to their health,” Toto said, while also noting that other factors like viruses and bacteria could cause kidney disease.
He also pointed out the excessive level of unhealthy trans fat in jelantah, or reused cooking oil, which was commonly used at food stalls across the country.
Toto advised people to add more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables to their diet to reduce excess intake of sugar, fat and salt, but underlined that it was even more important for the government to take stronger steps in regulating unhealthy foods in the market.
Riri and Ella both said that despite their best efforts to restrict consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks in their homes, they had no control over what their children consumed outside the home.
“Kids would go to the canteen [at school] and buy whatever they want, regardless of our advice for them to limit the consumption of processed foods or drinks,” Ella said.
The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has called on the government to tighten controls on the production and distribution of unhealthy foods and drinks, which were easily accessible to children.
This week, the government issued Government Regulation (PP) No. 28/2024 on the implementation of the 2023 Health Law, which stipulates the government’s authority in determining “a maximum limit for sugar, salt and fat content in processed foods, including ready-to-eat [foods]”.
The regulation also stipulates the involvement of relevant ministries and institutions in determining ingredient restrictions. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
