On snacks and autism<\/p>\n
This is in response to Mr. Sunarto Prawirosujanto's letter
\nentitled Snacks and autism, which was published in The Jakarta
\nPost of Jan. 18, 2002, and is a comment on Ms. Santi Hendrawati's
\narticle entitled Snacks: Delicious but dangerous (The Post, Jan.
\n2, 2002.<\/p>\n
Just for the record and to put certain things straight, I have
\nnot read Ms. Santi Hendrawati's article, as the newspaper
\ndelivery man was still on leave. However, having been involved in
\nwriting and conducting seminars on autism, I can say that the
\nproblem of autism doesn't just involve monosodium glutamate
\n(MSG), but also the whole bunch of food additives (preservatives,
\ncoloring & flavoring agents, emulsifiers, stabilizers and what
\nhave you).<\/p>\n
I also have no data of the snacking habits of Korean,
\nTaiwanese or Singaporean children or how much MSG and other food
\nadditives are consumed by them. But I do know that controls on
\nthe use of food additives and food production in these countries
\nare strictly observed and strictly monitored by the government.
\nThis is not the case in Indonesia. Add to this the fact that the
\nlevel of food intolerance varies from one person to another.<\/p>\n
The authorities here may not acknowledge this fact, but autism
\nis on the rise in Indonesia. You don't need polls and surveys
\n(which are difficult to come by anyway in Indonesia) to realize
\nthis. Just try to make an appointment with one of the doctors who
\nspecializes in treating autistic children and you will see that
\nit takes a wait of two months to three months before the doctor
\ncan see you.<\/p>\n
If one doctor sees three new autistic patients every day (this
\nI know to be a fact), calculate how many new autistic patients
\nare discovered every year in Indonesia. And then try to talk with
\none of the mothers of an autistic child to see how certain
\nspecial diets have brought such amazing improvements to her
\nchild.<\/p>\n
While I agree with Mr. Sunarto that there is no need for alarm
\nin eating snacks, I also see no harm in being selective about the
\nfood you eat.<\/p>\n
HIANG MARAHIMIN<\/p>\n
Assistant Chief Editor<\/p>\n
Nirmala Magazine<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/on-snacks-and-autism-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }