Health campaign must target specific groups<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Any campaign against heart disease in Indonesia
\nmust be designed at specific target groups because of the
\ndiversity in the social and cultural mix of the people here.<\/p>\n
Dr. Doddy Partomihardjo, a medical advisor of the food and
\ncosmetic giant PT Unilever Indonesia, yesterday said such a
\ncampaign would be difficult to carry out in a country with such
\ncomplexity like Indonesia.<\/p>\n
If United States and Finland successfully reduced mortality
\nrates caused by heart disease, Indonesia is still at the stage of
\nassembling data, such as on health statistics, food consumption
\npatterns, the number of people suffering from high blood pressure
\nand cholesterol and the impact of smoking, Doddy said.<\/p>\n
The U.S. government in 1960 launched its campaign with the
\nhelp of non-governmental organizations and twenty years later,
\nmortality rates due to heart disease was slashed by 51 percent.<\/p>\n
Finland began their campaigns in 1970, and by 1992, the
\nmortality rate caused by the disease dropped by 50 percent.<\/p>\n
Their campaigns were carried out in offices, providing blood
\npressure check-ups, cholesterol test and information on the
\ndanger of consuming saturated fats.<\/p>\n
In big Indonesian cities, there is a significant correlation
\nbetween prosperity and deaths caused by heart diseases.<\/p>\n
Although Indonesia's gross national product ranks among the
\nlowest in Southeast Asia, there is still a sizable number of
\nwealthy people in the country in absolute terms.<\/p>\n
In statistical terms, some 21 million out of Indonesia's
\npopulation of 185 million people have per capita income ranging
\nbetween $1,550 and $13,750, well above the $600 national average.<\/p>\n
These people lead a lifestyle liable to heart disease, which
\ninclude unhealthy eating habits, smoking, overworking, and lack
\nof exercise.<\/p>\n
Doddy singled out in particular the high level of cholesterol
\nfound among the food items now being consumed by these people.<\/p>\n
Much of the saturated fats, which are high in cholesterol,
\ncome from cooking oil commonly used by Indonesians. \"Research
\nshows that 70.7 percent of cooking oil consumed by Indonesians
\nare made of fat and milk. Only 27 percent of cooking oil in the
\nmarket can be considered good for the health,\" he said. (pwn)<\/p>",
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