Fingers may have a mind of their own, but before putting that succulent pan-fried flatbread martabak stuffed with chocolate sprinkles and cheese in your mouth, ask yourself this: Is it this kind of food craving or that kind of food craving?

Well, neither is good, but both can tell there is something wrong with you.

Bariatric physician Grace Judio-Kahl pointed out that the cause of food craving, or selective hunger, can be hormonal, emotional or a combination of biochemical processes in the body that usually happen to women during their period, during pregnancy or to people in distress.

“But there is another kind of food craving due to a bad habit of eating excessive amounts of salt, sugar and fat, so that the body can no longer say when to stop,” she said in a recent discussion jointly held by the Jakarta Food Editor’s Club (JFEC) and food and beverages producer Unilever Indonesia.

Bad eating habits — that might have begun in childhood — can lead to food addiction, which in the case of Indonesia pertains mostly to processed carbs, such as fritters wrapped in flour, noodles, chips and soft drinks that are high on salt and sugar content besides rice as the main staple food.

(Read also: Diet tips for your teenaged child)

People suffering from food addiction run the gamut of symptoms while craving something: from headaches and an inability to concentrate to mood swings. 

“A food addict doesn’t eat to fill the need for energy or nutrients but for comfort and pleasure, since salt and sugar do have a calming effect on the body. Most of us don’t realize that this is actually happening,” said Grace.

According to Health Ministry data, carb addiction is found in 75 percent of obese people and in 40 percent of people with normal weight.

The excessive intake of salt, sugar and fat amid an unhealthy lifestyle, which also includes smoking and drinking alcohol, is responsible for an alarming rise in obesity, according to the ministry’s head of diabetes mellitus and metabolic disease prevention and control Dyah Erti Mustikawati.

“Within 10 years, the share [of obese people] has increased by nearly 4 percent in adults and even more in children,” Dyah said at the event.

To date, 15.4 percent of adults and 12 percent of children are considered obese. In 2005, the share of obese children was just 5 percent.

“We need better control of advertisements targeting children, who have become the target of the industry, as they still can’t decide what’s best for them. There are many dimensions to this problem; the media also plays a part. For example, people grow a habit of snacking while watching a movie at home,” Dyah said.

“On the cultural side, we are taught to finish whatever food put in front of us. We have in our mindset that we should not waste food.”

Such lifestyles, she added, would lead to obesity-triggered non-communicable diseases, four of which have a high mortality rate in the country: heart disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In a bid to gain the upper hand in the situation, the government will launch a nationwide campaign for a healthy lifestyle starting on Nov. 12 to coincide with National Health Day. 

In the campaign, the ministry will encourage people to make time every day for 30 minutes of measurable physical activity, such as exercise.

(Read also: Which is more effective for losing weight: exercise or diet?)

“We need support from all parties, private companies and communities, to promote a balanced nutritious diet with a proportional intake of salt, sugar and fat and five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. We also encourage the public to aim for early detection concerning any health risk factor. Everyone should have better knowledge of a healthy lifestyle and their personal health,” said Dyah.

Unilever Indonesia head of corporate communications Maria D. Dwianto said the company was committed to a healthy lifestyle by reducing the sugar content and adding micronutrients to its products. 

“We support the government program to control the composition of salt, sugar and fat in processed food and [improve] public awareness about a healthy lifestyle,” she said.

Grace said there were two methods individuals could employ to control their eating habits. One is to reflect on themselves to find out whether the desire to eat comes from a sense of pleasure recorded in memory, a need of comfort or from a need of energy and nutrients.

“If that fails, just make sure you eat half a plate of fruits and greens, a quarter of carb sources, preferably whole grains, and another quarter of protein sources, such as white meat and beans, when craving some food. Eating is about the decision you make, just make sure you make the right choice.”

EAT RIGHT

To acquire healthy eating habits, bariatric physician Grace Judio-Kahl suggests individuals watch their daily consumption of salt, sugar and fat. 

Consume food with a lower Glycemic Index (GI) to control blood sugar

Types of food with a low GI level (55 or less): whole wheat bread or black wheat; oatmeal, oat bran or muesli; pasta, rice, barley and bulgur; sweet potato, corn, taro potato, peanut butter, peas, legumes and lentils; fruits and vegetables;

Types of food with a medium GI level (56-69): whole grain bread, rye or pita bread, instant oatmeal; brown, wild or basmati rice and couscous; 

Types of food with high GI level (70 and above): white bread or bagel; corn flakes, rice puffs, bran flakes; cheese and macaroni; potato and pumpkin; pretzels, rice cake, popcorn, salty biscuits; melon and pineapple.

Switch to lower-calorie food: When craving, replace the food you like to eat with a similar product that contains fewer calories. Instead of munching on a chocolate bar that contains 1,146 calories, drink a glass of chocolate that only has 88 calories.

Read the packet: It is advised to learn what’s inside a packet of food by reading nutrition information on the packaging. Ministry of Health Regulation No. 30/2013 requires producers reveal the salt, sugar and fat content in products. Salt and sugar are the main ingredients used in the packaged food industry. According to the ministry, the daily intake of salt, sugar and fat should not exceed 1:4:5. That means in a day a person should consume no more than 1 teaspoon of salt (5 grams), 4 spoons of sugar (50 grams) and 5 spoons of oil (67 grams) to avoid health risks.

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