CHAIRMAN of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) Piprim Basarah Yanuarso said that consuming ultra-processed foods excessively can trigger health problems in children.
According to him, ultra-processed foods, which usually have high levels of sugar, salt and fat, can make children addicted because they taste better than foods without ultra-processing, so children can consume more than they need.
“This is actually dangerous for children because of the potential for them to become overnourished. Once they are overnourished, they become obese, develop metabolic syndrome. Children who are still children already have hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and so on. So, this should only be consumed on indications,” said Piprim, quoted Friday (19/7).
Children who consistently consume ultra-processed foods, he continued, can become obese and are at risk of developing chronic health problems that can continue into adulthood.
“Almost 80%-90% of children with type 2 diabetes are accompanied by obesity. In addition, other diseases such as hypertension are also starting to increase, then also accompanied by diabetes, also children with fatty liver are also due to overnutrition,” said Piprim.
“And this is because the food is too delicious. So, this is dangerous because of its addictive potential for children,” he added.
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Piprim said that ultra-processed foods can be consumed by children as long as they are in accordance with medical indications and doctor’s instructions.
Processed foods that can be consumed by children include processed foods with additional nutrients and formula milk for children with malnutrition.
“Actually, in principle, children should be given enough calories for their development. For children with malnutrition or severe malnutrition, calorie intake must be increased,” said Piprim.
“In children with special conditions, for example children with allergies, they need ultraprocessed food in the form of special milk determined by the doctor,” he concluded. (Ant/Z-1)
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