Health Minister Warns Poor Diet Today Could Trigger Stroke a Decade Later

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has reminded the public that the threat of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as stroke, heart disease, cancer, and kidney disorders is the result of long-term accumulated poor habits. Often, a currently fit physical condition deceives people’s awareness of their future health investment. “Many people feel healthy today, when in fact they are at risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack in five or ten years due to a poor diet,” Budi said in a statement on Saturday (11/7). Based on data from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI), 96.7 percent of the population aged five years and over lack adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, 33.7 percent of the population frequently consume sweet foods and 47.5 percent frequently consume sweet drinks. The obesity rate among adults aged 18 and over has also surged from 15.4 percent in 2013 to 23.4 percent in 2023. As part of the policy to control NCD risks, the Ministry of Health is actively promoting the Nutri-Level programme. This policy is designed to help the public easily understand, compare, and choose food products based on their sugar, salt, and fat content. “The focus of Nutri-Level is on strengthening consumer education while shopping, not on banning products from the market,” he stated. Budi specifically requested that TikTok content creators help package this health education in a youthful style to make it a popular trend. “Please help me educate the public with a youthful style. Make healthy eating patterns a trend. Educate people that drinking black coffee without sugar is cool, and eating boiled foods or salads is a trendy lifestyle,” Budi urged. Meanwhile, Head of Public Policy at TikTok Indonesia, Noudhy Valdryno, stated that on the TikTok platform, food topics, including healthy food, are among the most frequently found and shared content by the public. “Every day, millions of users come to TikTok to find recipes, cooking inspiration, food recommendations, and various simple ways to live a healthier lifestyle,” Noudhy added. Director of Health Promotion and Community Health at the Ministry of Health, Niken Wastu Palupi, added that the solution to malnutrition issues is close at hand through fresher local foods that are free from ultra-processing. The Ministry of Health has set maximum daily consumption limits for sugar, salt, and fat at 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 5 tablespoons of fat per day.