Rice is Not the Cause of Abdominal Fat, Here's What Nutritionists Say
Rice has been blamed as the culprit behind abdominal obesity. However, according to nutrition experts, this perception stems from outdated thinking that does not fully understand the principles of balanced nutrition.
Professor Ali Khomsan, Professor of Food and Nutrition at IPB University, argues that health cannot be determined solely by physical appearance. Misguided perceptions risk triggering various chronic diseases from a young age.
“In the past, being overweight was considered a symbol of prosperity or wellbeing, but now we recognise that excess weight makes people more susceptible to non-communicable diseases,” he stated.
According to him, the indicator of a healthy child should refer to the appropriateness of weight and height based on medical standards. Overweight is an important risk factor for the onset of hypertension, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
“Hypertension, diabetes, and other conditions are partly caused by the important risk factor of being overweight,” he explained.
On the other hand, parental concern about small-bodied children often leads to misconceptions. Professor Ali stressed that a small child is not necessarily experiencing stunting.
“Stunting has its own measurements. Every community health post knows the standard. For example, if a five-year-old child is only 90 centimetres tall, that is stunting because the indicator is height,” he clarified.
These standards are available at health centres and community health worker posts so the public can obtain objective and measured assessments.
He also corrected the assumption that eating dinner is the main cause of weight gain. According to him, the real issue lies in the time gap between eating and sleeping.
“The body needs a gap of four to five hours between eating and bedtime for optimal digestive processes,” he said.
Because of this, he recommends eating in the afternoon, especially for middle-aged groups whose body metabolism is beginning to decline.
Beyond meal timing patterns, rice is also often considered the main cause of obesity. However, Professor Ali believes this issue is more related to consumption habits.
“Why is rice often considered problematic? Because rice tastes good. When people eat tasty rice, they tend to eat more,” he explained.
If other carbohydrate sources such as cassava or sweet potato are consumed excessively, he continued, the impact on weight remains the same.
“I see it not just because of the calories, but because of the quantity consumed. People eating rice usually eat larger amounts.”
Through proper nutrition education, he hopes the public will increasingly understand that health is not determined by a single type of food or a particular body shape, but rather by the balance of eating patterns and lifestyle as a whole.