Indonesian women struggle to shed the flab
Tantri Yuliandini, Jakarta
Despite being a trim 52 kilograms, Risma worries about her weight and often laments about her flabby abdomen. At 155 centimeters tall, Risma actually has nothing to fear.
"I know I don't look fat, but it's my stomach, the extra weight ends up on my stomach," the 29 year old, said, her face reddening.
Risma is not alone in her concern. A recent online survey by consulting firm ACNielsen found there were more people in Asia Pacific trying to lose weight than there were people who considered themselves overweight.
Yanti Nisro, ACNielsen Indonesia's communications and operations director, said that while 54 percent of 9,485 respondents across Asia Pacific considered themselves overweight, nearly 70 percent admitted to currently trying to lose weight.
"In Indonesia, 71 percent of respondents are trying to lose weight despite the fact that only 54 percent consider themselves a little, somewhat or very overweight," she said in a media conference on Friday. Respondents in Indonesia totaled 631 people who were contacted randomly by e-mail.
The survey was conducted online in 13 Asia-Pacific countries and was aimed at finding a general overview of how Internet-savvy people in the region view their weight.
"The phenomenon is more pronounced by gender. In Indonesia, 56 percent of women think they are overweight, with 75 percent trying to lose weight, compared to 54 percent of men considering themselves overweight and 70 percent trying to lose some of it," Yanti said.
The bulk of Indonesians who consider themselves overweight are aged between 25 and 49 years old, while those most concerned about losing weight are between 35 and 49 years old.
"Because they haven't given birth, the bodies of younger women are usually good anyway, while older women have more means to perfect their bodies," nutritionist Michael Triangto told The Jakarta Post.
This image has largely something to do with the international image of what is an ideal body, Michael said.
"As long as photo models across the world are portrayed as skinny, then people are going to think that way (about the ideal body)," he said.
In the meantime, in a bid to lose weight, respondents in Indonesia preferred dieting over sports or other physical activities, with 51 percent saying they try to cut down on fat intake, compared to the 36 percent regional average.
Other means of dieting, however, are not popular among Indonesians. Only 4 percent of respondents said they follow a vegetarian diet, the Atkins diet or take diet pills.
Burning off excess kilos through exercise is clearly not a popular choice, the survey reveals. About a quarter of respondents across the region said they never exercise and 51 percent exercise only once or twice a week.
The most active in Asia Pacific are the Kiwis and the Aussies, where 44 percent and 43 percent respectively exercise more than three times a week, followed by Indians at 36 percent. In Indonesia, only 12 percent of respondents said they exercised more than thrice a week, while 66 percent exercise once or twice a week.
"The Japanese appear to be the least committed to exercise, with close to half the respondents, or 47 percent, claiming to never exercise," Yanti said.
Walking and jogging are the most popular types of exercise that people from across the region are doing, probably because it is cheap, she added.
For Risma, her preferred exercise is swimming, which is also the choice of 10 percent of the Indonesian respondents, making it the third most popular form of exercise after walking and jogging and racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton.
Whether or not there is a legitimate need to lose weight seems to be unimportant to the people surveyed, and in the Asia-Pacific region at least, no one apparently feels they are too thin.
"I'm a little overweight myself," Risma said.