More RI children battling the bulge<\/p>\n
By Bruce Emond<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Check out an upmarket mall on a Sunday and watch
\nas a veritable army of little children carrying a few extra
\nkilograms marches by.<\/p>\n
Diminutive nannies can be seen struggling to keep in hand not
\nso little moppets who are eagerly clutching burgers or candy. The
\ntoy giveaways and kids' specials bring the children in to the
\nfast-food restaurants dotting the malls, but it is the greasy
\ntreats which keep them coming back for more.<\/p>\n
Chubbiness in children has long been associated with wealth
\nand health in Asia, including Indonesia; a sign that parents were
\nable to keep their offspring amply fed come feast or famine.<\/p>\n
Although the view persists in some circles, more parents are
\nrealizing that an overweight child may well grow into a fat
\nadolescent, with the excess weight becoming even more difficult
\nto shed as the years go by.<\/p>\n
\"People still want chubby children, particularly in some
\nethnic groups like the Tapanuli (Batak) and Chinese communities,\"
\nsaid pediatrician Dr. Widagdo from the School of Medicine at
\nTrisakti University in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I sometimes have parents come in who want their children to
\nbe bigger although the kids are normal weight. There is the
\nmisunderstanding that bigger means healthier.\"<\/p>\n
The health dangers include an increased risk for heart disease
\nand diabetes in later life, although Widagdo said juvenile
\ndiabetes remained a rarity in Indonesia. Australia's ABC
\ntelevision network recently reported on a study which found that
\nsome children eating a high-fat, high-caloric diet showed
\npremature signs of hardening of the arteries.<\/p>\n
Pediatrician Dr. Abu Purwanto said it appeared there were
\nincreased rates of obesity among children from upper-income
\nfamilies.<\/p>\n
\"The impression is that, yes, more children from the middle
\nclass and upper class are getting fatter,\" said the doctor, whose
\npractice is in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Both pediatricians blamed changing diets and a more sedentary
\nlifestyle for the expanding waistlines of affluent Indonesian
\nchildren.<\/p>\n
\"People are eating a lot more high nutrition food, even when
\nsometimes they don't need it,\" Purwanto said. \"Instead of regular
\nfull-fat milk, they give a high-protein milk to their kids. And
\nthen the children spend their time playing PlayStation instead of
\ngoing out to play soccer.\"<\/p>\n
Widagdo said the economic crisis, which led to nutritional
\ndeficiencies and malnutrition among many children from low-income
\nfamilies, also appeared to zap the ballooning weight of his
\nmiddle-class child patients.<\/p>\n
\"Before the crisis, I would say about 2 percent to 4 percent
\nof the middle-class children I saw were overweight. Now it's
\nabout 1 percent. But it's still around the same percentage of up
\nto 4 percent among children from upper-income families.\"<\/p>\n
He said it was important to determine if children were
\noverweight because of extra fat or whether they were naturally
\nmuscular.<\/p>\n
Dieting kids<\/p>\n
The fat of the land usually have fat pocketbooks as well.
\nSeeing a very large opportunity, a host of diet centers and
\nprograms have emerged in recent years, promising to help the
\noverweight, including children, in the battle of the bulge.<\/p>\n
\"The percentage of our children as clients in Indonesia ranges
\nfrom 5 percent to 8 percent,\" said Aileen Chua from slimming
\ncenter Marie France Bodyline. \"Over the years, there has been a
\ngradual increase in children taking up slimming, nothing
\ndrastic.\"<\/p>\n
Chua agreed with the doctors that diets high in fat and a lack
\nof exercise were major contributors to obesity among children.
\n\"Outdoor games and sports are very good ways to keep children fit
\nand healthy.\"<\/p>\n
She said parents were sometimes also to blame through
\nmistakenly equating heaviness with health.<\/p>\n
\"Parents (have an) inclination to keep their children fat and
\nchubby for 'cuteness', and think that fat equates to growth. With
\nsuch encouragement from parents, it's easy for the child to
\nbecome obese. When this happens, only then do parents realize
\nthat it's a serious problem.\"<\/p>\n
All three said parents played an important role in guiding
\ntheir children onto the right path for better health.<\/p>\n
\"It's very difficult with children,\" Purwanto said. \"We have
\nto show their parents the standards for ideal weights, and show
\nthem where their children are. We give them an education about
\nthe quantity and quality of food that their children need.\"<\/p>\n
It is also important for parents to remember they are dealing
\nwith sensitive, impressionable children when helping their
\nchildren diet.<\/p>\n
\"John\", now in his early 30s, said his mother's hysterical
\nreaction to his few extra kilograms when a child led to a chronic
\nstruggle with his weight.<\/p>\n
\"I remember it clearly like it was yesterday. I was about 8
\nand I wasn't supposed to have a second piece of cake but I
\nsneaked back into the kitchen anyway. When my mom caught me, she
\nwent ballistic, telling me I would be so fat by the time I was 20
\nif I didn't go on a diet.\"<\/p>\n
He eventually became anorexic and then bulimic. \"Today, I am
\nobese and it's really hard for me to make that distinction
\nbetween when to eat out of hunger because I spent so many years
\nrepressing the urge.\"<\/p>\n
Chua said parents could show their children through doing.<\/p>\n
\"Parents should help educate their child on the importance of
\neating healthy and choosing the right food, and avoiding
\novereating. Parents should also encourage their child in doing
\nsome form of natural exercise.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-ri-children-battling-the-bulge-1447893297",
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