[Unpad.ac.id, 31/10/2013] Obesity has become one of the causes of high morbidity and mortality rates in the world. Ironically, obesity rates in some countries are increasing. In Indonesia, according to Indonesian Health Research, obesity rate by the age above 18 years reached 21.7 percent in 2010.
Director General of disease control and environmental health of the Ministry of Health (P2PL), Prof. Dr. Tjandra Yoga Aditama, SpP (K), MARS, DTMH, DTCE, revealed the increasing number of obesity in Indonesia is affected by unhealthy life style and social environment.
“Nowadays, junkfood, fastfood can be found everywhere. Many people now prefer to eat hamburgers than have wrapped rice,” said Prof. Tjandra revealed when delivering a speech at the 7th Asia Oceania seminar Conference of Obesity (AOCO 2013), Thursday (7/10) at the Hotel the trance Luxury Bandung. Little do they know, obesity might lead to life-threatening diseases, such as diabetes, heart attack, and cancer.
“In Indonesia, people with obesity, however, do not only come from middle-class of society, about 11.4% of them come from the lower-class and 14.95% from the upper middle-class,” he revealed.
The Government is working to lower obesity rate in Indonesia. One program that is encouraged by the Government is CERDIK. Through this program, people are encouraged to check their health conditions on a regular basis, quit smoking, work out regularly, consume healthy diet with balanced calories, get enough rest, and manage stress.
President of the Asean-Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity (AOASO), Prof. Kuo Chin Huang, explained that consuming fruits and vegetables regularly may prevent obesity.” Obesity is primarily caused by unhealthy diet. Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is one way to avoid obesity,” he explained. Another way which is also recommended by Prof. Huang is to do activities to work off your energy, such as doing traditional dances, yoga, or meditation.
The 2013’s AOCO presented experts on obesity from several countries, such as Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, India, and the Philippines. According to Chairman AOCO Dr. 2013, Gaga Irawan Nugraha, Dr.., SpGK, M.Gizi, this seminar gathered experts in the field of obesity treatment and other obesity-related diseases from all over the world. Prof. Huang hoped that this seminar, which was organized by Indonesian Society for the Study of Obesity (ISSO) in cooperation with AOASO and FK Unpad, would add new insights in obesity treatment.
