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View all search resultsChild obesity surges as junk food, sugary drinks take over
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Stock illustration of child obesity. (Courtesy of/Shutterstock)
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surge in childhood obesity across Indonesia is raising the alarm, with experts warning that the country’s children face a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and other life-threatening illnesses as junk food replaces healthier diets.
About one in five children aged 5 to 12 in the country is overweight or obese, according to Health Ministry data. Under World Health Organization standards, a body mass index (BMI, the ratio of weight to height) above 30 is classified as obese, while 25 to 29 is overweight. Both conditions generally stem from an imbalance between calorie intake and physical activity.
A recent United Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report titled Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children found that the proportion of overweight children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 in Indonesia at least tripled between 2000 and 2022.
UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell attributed the trend to the growing availability of ultra-processed food, which she said was replacing fruits, vegetables and protein at a stage when proper nutrition is crucial for children’s growth, cognitive development and mental health.
The agency stressed that obesity increases the risk of insulin resistance and high blood pressure, while raising the likelihood of life-threatening illnesses later in life, including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
“The report warns that ultra-processed and fast foods–high in sugar, refined starch, salt, unhealthy fats and additives–are shaping children’s diets through unhealthy food environments, rather than personal choice,” Unicef said in a Sept. 9 release.
“These products dominate shops and schools, while digital marketing gives the food and beverage industry powerful access to young audiences,” it added.
