Rise of Diabetes Among Indonesian Teenagers Alarms Health Officials

Type 2 diabetes, a disease long associated with the elderly, is increasingly being diagnosed among teenagers, with cases now appearing in junior high school students, according to Indonesia’s Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono. He revealed the trend during a speech at the Canisius Health Expo 2026 at Kolese Kanisius. Dante attributed the rise in early-onset diabetes not only to genetic factors but to significant lifestyle shifts in recent years, including low physical activity, high screen time, sleep deprivation, and excessive consumption of sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods. He added that mounting mental health pressures on adolescents further exacerbate the condition, noting that type 2 diabetes in teenagers tends to develop more rapidly and aggressively than in adults. The Deputy Minister stressed that the primary solution lies in behavioural changes starting at home, advocating for shared family meals, adequate sleep, reduced screen time, and regular exercise together. He shared his personal experience of hiking Mount Ciremai with his son as a means of maintaining fitness and disconnecting from gadgets. On a policy level, the government has launched a Free Health Check programme targeting 25 million schoolchildren and is implementing a ‘nutri-level’ system, using A-to-D labels on food packaging to warn consumers about sugar content. School screenings have also uncovered other early-onset health issues among youths, including hypertension, anaemia, and dental problems. The Canisius Health Expo 2026, organised by the college’s 2001 alumni in partnership with a private Jakarta hospital, provided free health screenings and specialist consultations for the public.