Feb. 7, 2016

The double burden of malnutrition, which comprises under-nutrition and over-nutrition, has become one of key development challenges faced by Indonesia.

Under-nutrition in children usually occurs during their first 1,000 days of life, beginning from pregnancy until their second birthday. This is a critical period of brain development in children because any failure in this stage cannot be corrected.

Under-nourished children will suffer physical growth disorders and metabolism problems. Once children live in a condition with easier access to nutritious foods during their adulthood, they will be very susceptible to obesity because of their inability to properly digest the nutritional elements of food such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. This will make them prone to non-infectious diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

As it leads to illness, disability and even death, the double burden of malnutrition has become a crucial problem in Indonesia, and one that demands a greater degree of attention.

Your comments:

Children are starving and lots of folks are homeless. Yet the politicians persist in spending taxpayers'€™ money on themselves.

Simba1991

A 2015 UNICEF Indonesia report puts it more succinctly: '€œThe 2014 Global Nutrition Report places Indonesia among 31 countries in the world that are unlikely to meet global targets for reducing malnutrition by 2025. Government data indicates that 37 percent of children under five were stunted in 2013, 12 percent were wasted [too thin for their height] and 12 percent were overweight'€.

Wandering Star

It'€™s horrific. I can'€™t believe this can happen in a relatively well-off country. Other countries in ASEAN, perhaps, and maybe some countries in Africa or the Caribbean or South America. But here?

L Millar

There is a wealth imbalance among the population, between the regions and between districts within the same region. Look at the pockets of grinding poverty in Jakarta alongside luxurious malls and high rises. Worse still, look at the sheer destitution of many areas in Papua, even though Papua is among the highest revenue earning regions in the country.

Of the 252 million people living in Indonesia, 28.6 million currently live below the poverty line and approximately 40 percent of all people remain clustered around the national poverty line, set at Rp 330,776 (US$22) per person per month, according to the World Bank in October 2015.

When this reality hits you, you wonder how so-called leaders such as Setya Novanto (among many others) can sleep soundly at night.

WS

Never underestimate the local tendency toward sheer apathy.

LM

Impoverished men are happy to spend 40 percent of their income on cancer sticks while their kids don'€™t get enough protein.

And the government is happy to stop the import of quality food from overseas to protect rich cartels. It'€™s a dog-eat-dog country.

Testing123456

It'€™s unbelievable. This is a terrible story about Indonesia. Can it get any worse? Yes, it can, if climate change reduces global food production and the world population keeps increasing.

Brucelee4444

Malnutrition: A bi-product of a corrupt and conscience-free society.

Bohongbohong

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