Struggling to Avoid Processed Foods? Here Are Tips for Choosing and Controlling Your Portions

Processed foods are often linked to an increased risk of obesity. However, in modern life, processed foods are hard to avoid, so the public needs to know how to choose the right products to prevent weight gain. The Director of Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases at the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes RI), Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi, M.Epid, says that one important step in preventing obesity is to monitor consumption patterns, including when choosing processed foods. She adds that the public also needs to understand the nutritional information and ingredients listed on the packaging to be able to choose processed foods more wisely. In this way, the processed foods consumed can help reduce the risk of obesity, not the other way around. The information contains sugar, salt, and fat contents that can help consumers estimate the calories consumed. By understanding the nutrition label, the public can choose products that better align with their body’s needs while avoiding excessive calorie intake that risks obesity. In addition to paying attention to nutritional content, portion size and frequency of consumption also need to be controlled. Consuming processed foods in excess can still increase the risk of obesity, even though the products are safe to consume. Therefore, it is important to regulate the amount of consumption and not make processed foods the sole daily source of food. Products with a more balanced composition may be a better choice for consumers who want to maintain their weight. By paying attention to the product composition, the public can continue to consume processed foods without excessively increasing obesity risk.