Preserving the Essence of Ramadan: Overcoming the Traps of Consumerism and Visual Hunger

Ramadan is meant to be a time for Muslims to reflect and control their desires. However, the essence of simplicity is often eroded by unconscious consumerist behaviour, including overbuying.

Megawati Simanjuntak, an expert in Family and Consumer Science at IPB University, points out that Ramadan is actually a period prone to excessive lifestyles. This behaviour contradicts the values of fasting, which emphasize self-control.

“Overbuying is the act of buying goods or services excessively without considering actual needs. This behaviour often occurs during Ramadan and has more negative impacts,” explained Megawati.

This phenomenon is most evident when iftar arrives. Many people prepare excessive amounts of food, from heavy meals to various snacks like fried food, kolak (a type of sweet soup), and dates.

Megawati reminds us that the feeling of hunger after a day of fasting often triggers visual hunger, where the desire to buy food is driven by momentary emotions rather than the body’s needs.

“Often, the amount of food available at the iftar table is not proportional to the body’s needs. This is not good, both from a health and financial perspective,” she added.

Not only during iftar, but consumerist tendencies also tend to surge in the lead-up to Eid al-Fitr. People often feel compelled to buy additional items such as new clothes, various kinds of cookies, and large quantities of special Eid dishes.

To avoid this trap, Megawati shares several preventive measures. She emphasizes the importance of financial planning by creating a detailed list of needs before shopping.

In addition, people are advised not to be easily tempted by marketing strategies on social media and e-commerce. According to her, shopping activities through live streaming often trigger the fear of missing out (FOMO). She also reminds people not to be easily swayed by limited edition labels or large discounts, which are often just marketing tactics.

Furthermore, Megawati advises people to refrain from excessive consumption because it can disrupt the solemnity of worship. Ramadan should be a time to increase good deeds and closeness to the Creator, not just to satisfy momentary worldly desires.

“Shopping in moderation according to needs is a wiser choice,” she stressed.

With careful planning and emotional control while shopping, people are expected to be able to live the holy month more meaningfully, healthily, and still maintain financial stability until the day of Eid arrives. (Z-1)

It is easier to endure hunger during fasting if you maintain a healthy diet during suhoor (pre-dawn meal), drink enough fluids, and manage your daily activities well.

The composition and portion of food during suhoor directly affect a person’s blood sugar levels.

If a breastfeeding mother feels capable and her own health and the health of her baby are maintained, she is still allowed to fast.

Medically, bloating is caused by the accumulation of gas in the digestive tract.

To make the THR (Eid bonus) more beneficial, Aliyah suggests dividing expenditure based on an ideal percentage.

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