Sweet Drinks Can Trigger Obesity in Sedentary Children

The consumption of sweetened beverages, which has been rising, can contribute to obesity risk, especially among children. This risk increases if not balanced by sufficient physical activity. Dr Siti Nadia Tarmizi, M.Epid, Director of Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, said that excessive sugar consumption can accelerate the onset of obesity, particularly among younger age groups. She said that children tend to be accustomed to foods and drinks with a sweet flavour, so sugar intake becomes higher. “Children tend to consume sugar. It’s essentially an addiction. If they become used to sweet foods or drinks, they will continue to seek out sweet flavours,” she explained during a media briefing titled “Cermat Memilih Pangan Olahan untuk Mencegah Obesitas” in Central Jakarta, on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. If not balanced by adequate physical activity, the excess energy will be stored in the body as fat. This is why excessive sugar consumption, including from sweetened beverages, is one of the drivers of obesity. Nevertheless, she emphasised that sugar consumption is not always problematic if balanced by sufficient physical activity. According to Nadia, the basic principle of obesity is the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure. “The principle is that obesity results from a balance between input and output,” she said. Nadia noted that a large portion of Indonesian society still has low levels of physical activity. “Data show that around 96 percent of our population are insufficiently active,” she added. This condition means that calories entering the body are not burned effectively, thereby increasing the risk of excess weight.